Richard Smith, a 50-year-old tree surgeon from Stourport-Upon-Severn, has been banned from driving for a year after being caught smoking a cannabis joint while driving his Ford Transit van in Handsworth, Birmingham. He pleaded guilty to drug driving at Birmingham Magistrates' Court this week.
Incident Details
The incident occurred on April 4 when police observed Smith smoking the joint along Green Lane, Handsworth. Smith claimed his passenger handed him the joint without informing him it contained THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis. A subsequent blood test revealed he was over the legal limit for Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which has a limit of 2.0 micrograms per litre of blood.
Court Proceedings
Smith expressed genuine remorse in a letter read to the court, stating: "I'm writing to express my genuine remorse, I fully accept the seriousness of the offence and importance of road safety. I understand my contact has fallen below the standard. I'm deeply sorry for my actions. I was not someone who used cannabis through the day and throughout my work."
He explained that he had used cannabis previously to help with sleep problems but never during the day or while working. Since his arrest, he has not used cannabis, describing the experience as "profound" and expressing determination not to reoffend.
DVLA Action and Sentence
In addition to the court-imposed ban, the DVLA had already suspended his licence for several weeks after learning of the offence. The prosecutor noted: "He was found to be smoking a cannabis joint while driving. A blood sample was taken and he was found to be over the limit."
Smith's solicitor highlighted the impact on his client's livelihood: "He will lose his driving licence as a result of this guilty plea and that will have a particularly significant impact on him as it spells the end of his business for the time being. Swansea have got wind of this and he has not been able to drive for some weeks."
The court also fined Smith £120 and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge and prosecution costs.
