Briercliffe cannabis driver given one last chance by judge

A man who was in breach of a suspended sentence when he was caught driving while under the influence of cannabis has been given “one final chance” by a judge.

Jack Bruce, 25, was pulled by police on the M4 near Newport in Wales on October 10 as they suspected his white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was overloaded due to it sitting very low on its rear wheels.

Preston Crown Court heard that when the officer spoke to Bruce, of New Taylor Fold, Briercliffe, he was asked if he’d taken any drugs.

Bruce told the police he’d smoked some cannabis the night before and a roadside drugs test revealed him to be positive for the class B drug, with further analysis showing he was almost twice the drug drive limit.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, told the court Bruce had been disqualified from driving for 12 months in January 2021 for being unfit through drink and drugs.

He had also been handed a suspended sentence in April after being convicted of common assault and theft.

Mark Stuart, in mitigation for Bruce, said: “He thought he was perfectly fit to drive.

“He’d been working away and had some cannabis the night before and then worked the following day before driving home.

“He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.”

Sentencing Bruce, Judge Darren Preston said: “You were given a chance to show you could stay out of trouble but idiotically having taken cannabis the night before, drove a van and then came back with almost double the level for THC.

“You have complied with the order and completed your rehabilitation days so far.

“I hope you realise you only get so many chances before the court, and I am going to give you one further chance as I think it would be unjust at this stage to activate the suspended sentence because of the progress you are making under it.”

Bruce was handed an additional five rehabilitation activity days to complete and was fined £800 to be paid within 56 days.

He was also disqualified from driving for three years.

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