A man convicted of three previous drug-driving offences was stopped by police while driving on a motorway slip road with his children in the car and enough cannabis in his system to put him four times over the legal limit.
Bath magistrates heard on Wednesday 18th June that 27-year-old Ryan Cottle is “deeply ashamed”.
He was banned from driving for 44 months and given a 12-month community order involving 100 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days.
The court heard that on 2nd January of this year Cottle, from Steeple Ashton near Trowbridge, had been to a wedding with his family.
His wife had been driving their Nissan Qashqai, but they swapped over at Charnock Richard Services in Lancashire so she could attend to one of their children who had norovirus.
Cottle was involved in a collision with another vehicle at the services, but maintained that the other driver was at fault. The court heard that the insurers have not yet decided who was in the wrong.
When stopped by police on the slip road, Cottle appeared to be “drowsy” and his speech was mumbled. He was found to have 8.2 mgs of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a chemical associated with cannabis, per litre of blood. The legal limit is 2 mgs.
Cottle pleaded guilty to drug-driving when he appeared before Preston Magistrates’ Court on 11th April. The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports to Bath Magistrates’ Court with an interim disqualification starting from the time of his guilty plea.
Bath magistrates were told that Cottle had previously been convicted for a spate of three drug-driving offences committed in October 2019 and January and March 2020.
He had given up cannabis two years ago but had smoked some at a New Year’s Eve party.
The self-employed road worker is now drug-tested at work as he uses heavy equipment.
Magistrates also ordered Cottle to pay a £114 surcharge and prosecution costs of £85.
