Carlisle security worker banned over crash while drug driving
But a defence lawyer for 33-year-old William Bowman told a court that he had no idea the drug was in his system because when he shared his friend's pipe during an earlier social visit, he thought the drug he smoked was cannabis. The security worker, from Penton, north of Carlisle[1], admitted drug driving and driving without due care and attention. Prosecutor George Shelley outlined what happened.
He described how the defendant had been driving his Isuzu D-Max along the A595 on August 8 last year when he collided with a stationary car that had been indicating to turn into a junction. "His vehicle collided with the rear of the other car, pushing it into the carriageway into the path of oncoming traffic, which was forced to take evasive action," said Mr Shelley. A test later confirmed that Bowman was over the limit for methamphetamine.
The concentration of the drug in his system was virtually 20 times the legal limit, said the prosecutor. The court heard that the defendant had 193mcg of methamphetamine in every litre of blood. The legal limit for driving is 10mcg.
When he was interviewed by the police, Bowman said he had been attempting to quit smoking and while driving he had searching for a nicotine product on the passenger seat. "He was reaching over and couldn't locate the packet," said the lawyer. "It was while he was doing this that the collision happened." Tariq Khawam, defending, said: "The defendant didn't specifically know that he had been smoking methamphetamine.
He was using his friend's pipe and believed he was smoking cannabis." A probation officer who interviewed the defendant said the defendant gave him the same version of events. When he began to drive that day, Bowman said he initially felt fine but as he visited a petrol station he knew he did not feel right but continued driving anyway.
Bowman said that as he drove round a corner, objects on his car's passenger seat - including his nicotine gum - fell into the footwell. The crash happened as he tried to retrieve it. The officer said: "He knows what he did was wrong, and he feels remorse.
"He's very apologetic for the hurt and injury caused to the other driver. He started to assist but other people were helping, and he was injured also." Bowman said he used cannabis recreationally but that he was not dependent on the drug.
Working as a security officer in Carlisle, the defendant had never been in court before. As a result of the crash, he was now mostly walking to work. "The car was destroyed and he is still paying for it," said Mr Khawam. "It's a three-and-a-half-hour walk to work," said the probation officer, adding that this showed Bowman was a person who was prepared to make effort.
Magistrates fined Bowman GBP230 and banned him from driving for 30 months and imposed a 12-month community order which will include 100 hours of unpaid work in the community. He must also pay GBP85 costs and a GBP114 victim surcharge. Before announcing the sentence, the lead magistrate pointed out to the defendant that there is a bus that runs from Penton to Carlisle - on Tuesdays and Fridays.
* According to the AA, the distance from Penton to Carlisle is just under 18 miles.
* Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug but it can create a risk of severe psychosis and increases the chance of heart attack or stroke.
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