A MOTORIST has been banned from the roads for 18 months after he was caught driving under the influence of drugs.
Daren Walker was pulled over in his Citroën Saxo by police in Ocean Road, South Shields, who became suspicious as he appeared drowsy.
South Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard how a concerned member of the public had alerted the officers after spott
ing the car being driven erratically in the early hours of June 24, and told police he thought it was a drink driver. Walker, 20, from Homestall Close, South Shields, provided a blood sample at the police station which found traces of cannabis and diazepam in his system.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs, but insisted he'd passively inhaled the cannabis smoke from a friend.
Dudley Gibbs, a forensic scientist brought in as an expert witness by defence solicitor Chris Brown, backed the view.
He said the level of diazepam found in his system could mean he'd taken the substance up to eight days previously.
He said: "Diazepam has a half-life – the time it takes a substance to decrease by half – of 200 hours. That means it can remain in the body for up to 400 hours."
Stan Sutworth, prosecuting, had earlier told the court how the police officer who stopped Walker described him as sleepy.
But Mr Brown pointed out that he'd been stopped at 1.15am, and wasn't interviewed until 3.17am.
Mr Gibbs added: "It's a natural reaction to be tired at that time, we are biologically programmed to start shutting down."
Walker, who pleaded guilty on the day of a scheduled trial, was banned from driving for 18 months, fined £110 with £175 costs, and a £15 victim surcharge.
