Carer admits drug driving charge

Burnley magistrates heard how Cameron Williams (26) had more than twice the specified amount of the cocaine breakdown product benzoylecgonine in his body.

He admitted he smoked cannabis but insisted he had only taken cocaine once, two years ago at a music festival and couldn't explain how it was in his blood.

Williams, a carer, admitted driving with above the specified limit of benzoylecgonine in his blood.

The defendant, of Sylvan Drive, Burnley, was banned for a year and was fined £120, with £140 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Mr Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said Williams had been stopped by police as he drove from a side street, causing the officer to brake. A blood sample revealed he had 118 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood in his system. The specified limit is 50.

Mr Ben Leech, defending, told the hearing Williams had no intention of driving that day and had taken some cannabis.

At around 9pm the woman he was a carer for contacted him to say she had fallen and he jumped in his car to drive to her.

Mr Leech said: "He had not and does not take cocaine.

"To his knowledge, he took cocaine once, in 2015 at a music festival.

"Other than that he had not knowingly taken on board any cocaine. He must have ingested it unknowingly at some stage."