In the Magistrates’ Court today, a local man was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined a total of £2000 after he pleaded guilty to Possession of a Class A Drug and to Possession of a Class B Drug.  Last month he had been found guilty of Failing to Provide a Specimen of Blood.

The court heard that, at about 3.45pm on 11 February 2022, an RGP officer noticed that Keirhan Vinent, 28, of the Varyl Begg Estate was asleep at the wheel of his car at a fuel pump in the GibOil petrol station on Line Wall Road.  Vinent’s keys were in the car’s ignition.

As there was a smell of cannabis in the vehicle and Vinent’s speech was lethargic, officers detained him for a search which revealed around 26gms of cannabis in one pocket and 1.4gms of cocaine in another. 

He was then arrested on suspicion of Possession of Class A and Class B drugs.

Once at New Mole House, Vinent was further arrested on suspicion of Driving while Under the Influence of Drugs and seen by a Forensic Medical Examiner who requested a sample of blood.  Vinent then refused this request.

In court today, the Magistrate took into consideration Vinent’s early guilty plea regarding the possession of drugs and he was fined £1000 for the possession of cocaine and £500 for possession of cannabis.  In relation to the charge of failing to Provide a Specimen, he was fined a further £500 and disqualified for 18 months.