Road ban for Bridgnorth man caught drug-driving
A man twice caught driving with cocaine in his system claims he was a victim of ‘cuckooing’ – after his Bridgnorth home was taken over by drug dealers.
Peter Hirst, aged 64, who spends up to £50 a week on drugs, was pulled over by police officers patrolling the A454 on September 9 and 19.
He was banned from the road for a total of 30 months for drug driving.
Telford Magistrates Court yesterday heard that Hirst had a history of heroin abuse stretching back 38 years. He received methadone treatment for about seven years but fell back into regular drug use including cocaine earlier this year after allowing strangers who supplied drugs to stay at his home in St Mary’s Street.
Miss Abigail Hall, prosecuting, said: “On 2.40am on September 9 officers on patrol on the A454 at Rudge Heath, Bridgnorth, saw a Vauxhall Mokka. They stopped the driver who identified himself as Peter Hirst. THe said he had been to McDonald’s in Wolverhampton. But they noticed he appeared nervous and when they looked inside the car they saw drug paraphernalia on the seat.”
Tests“A road saliva test showed he had taken cocaine and BZE. He was taken to Shrewsbury Police Station where a test measured 57 microgrammes of cocaine in per litre of blood and 800 microgrammes of BZE.
Miss Hall said: “On September 19 at 9.20am officers were again on patrol and observed Hirst driving the same car on the A454 at Shipley travelling towards Wolverhampton and they stopped him. Again he appeared nervous and they gave him a saliva test which was positive for cocaine. this time he was taken to Malinsgate station in Telford where tests for cocaine measured 65 microgrammes and BZE 800 microgrammes.”
The legal driving limit for cocaine is 10 and BZE 50.
Hirst admitted driving four charges of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.
Mr Stephen Scully, mitigating, said: “He had a long standing heroin habit, but managed with the assistance of various people to get clean for about six or seven years when he was on methadone. Occasionally he had dabbled with cocaine.
“Then earlier this year in February or March he went out to get some cocaine. The suggestion is that someone from the West Midlands came to his home and he was cuckooed. Initially one person came and was followed by others.
“They gave him drugs and a bit of money for food.”
The court also heard that Hirst, who is registered disabled and ill, is at risk of being evicted from his council flat due to antisocial behaviour linked to the property. The magistrates were also told that when the police stopped him he had a claw hammer on on the car seat and not drug paraphernalia.
In addition to the disqualification Hirst was given a 12-month community order, a three-month curfew between 7pm and 7am. He must attend 15 rehabilitation activity days and pay costs £135 and a victim surcharge of £85.
