Local man, Leon Cruz, 19, of Waterport Terraces has been fined £384 and disqualified from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to Driving when under the Influence of Drugs and of Possession of a Controlled Class B Drug.

Today, the Magistrates’ Court heard that, at around 1945hrs on the 23 November 2023, a witness saw Cruz throw a Cannabis reefer out of his car whilst driving on the Upper Rock.

Officers deployed to the area and located the car in the area of Willis’ Road where they detected the smell of burning cannabis.  The driver was seen to have dilated pupils and his speech was slurred.  However, he informed officers that he had a bag of herbal cannabis stored within the petrol cap of the car which officers were able to recover.

Cruz consented to a Drugs Wipe test which resulted in a positive outcome for cannabis. 

Having been arrested on suspicion of Driving when under the Influence of Drugs and on suspicion of Possession of a Class B Drug, he was taken to New Mole House where a sample of his blood was taken by the Forensic Medical Examiner.

The results of the blood tests were received in April 2024 and showed that, at the time, Cruz had 4.5ug/l in his system. The limit is 2.0ug/l for cannabis.