A local man has been disqualified from driving for eight months and fined £250 after pleading guilty to a charge of Driving Whilst Under the Influence of Drugs.

Ryan Simpson, 30, of the Moorish Castle Estate was sentenced by the Magistrates’ Court this morning.

The court heard that, at about 2315hrs on Friday 17 November 2023, officers were informed by an off-duty officer that a car was being driven in an erratic manner in the area of the University of Gibraltar.

The officers quickly identified the car and were able to stop it.

They noted that the driver’s speech was slurred, his eyes were glazed and his breath smelled of alcohol.  He was also argumentative towards the officers.

In a roadside breath test, the driver, Ryan Simpson, blew 39ug so he was arrested and taken to New Mole House where he consented to a drug wipe test which proved positive for cannabis.

At New Mole House Police Station, a blood sample was also taken and then sent to the UK for analysis.

The results showed that the blood contained not less than 3.8 micrograms of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per litre of blood. THC is the major constituent of cannabis and the legal limit for driving is 2.0 micrograms of THC per litre.

If anyone has concerns about a person driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can call the RGP in confidence on 200 72500 or 999 in emergencies.