A handyman was "shocked" to realise he was more than four times the drug-drive limit when he was stopped by police, a court heard.

Lee Roberts, of Hafod Close in Conah's Quay, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 28-year-old admitted that on June 24, he drove a motor vehicle in Flint when the proportion of cannabis in his blood exceeded the specified limit.
He was found to have 9.4microgrammes of the substance per litre of blood - the limit being 2.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, told the court police stopped Roberts on Evans Street in the town in order to check his documents.

They detected a smell of cannabis coming from inside the vehicle and suspected he may have been driving under the influence.

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A drugs swipe returned a positive result, leading to his arrest and subsequent blood tests.

Melissa Griffiths, defending, said at the of the offence her client had his own handyman business.

But the inevitable driving ban which was to follow his conviction meant he'd had to give that up.

Ms Griffith said the defendant had been a "fairly long-term user of cannabis," as he claimed it helped him to sleep and took it to deal with anxiety.

"He realises he made a foolish error," she said.

"He was shocked when he saw the level in the reading."

Roberts was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £48 victim surcharge, as well as £85 costs.

He was banned from driving for 12 months.

 

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