A NUMBER of motorists received bans for drink and drug drive offences.
The Leader attended Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday (April 13) to cover the cases.
Justin Anthony Pritchard:
Pritchard of Burton Street, Shrewsbury, admitted drug driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
The court was told that the 54-year-old was stopped by police on November 28 at about 3pm whilst driving a Vauxhall on the A550 in Penyffordd.
Pritchard tested positive for benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine) at the roadside, with 295 micrograms per liter of blood in his system - the legal driving limit being 50.
The court was told that Pritchard had taken a friend's car after his lift to work failed to show - and he didn't want to let customers down.
Pritchard was fined £500 and banned from driving for 15 months.
Samuel Holden:
Holden, of Highfield Road, Bagillt, admitted drug driving.
The 35-year-old was stopped in the early hours of January 5, while driving a Citroen C3 on Aber Road in Flint.
He was tested and was found to have 400 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood in his system, the court was told.
Holden said is "thoroughly ashamed of himself" and had no similar convictions.
He was fined £160 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.
Geraint Griffiths:
Griffiths, of Wats Road, Penyffordd, admitted drink driving and driving without insurance.
The court was told that the 22-year-old was involved in a single-vehicle crash in his Ford on Alyn Road, Buckley on November 18, 2022.
The court heard that he had been in a "toxic" relationship and had been out for a drink with a friend. He woke up at home the next day to police officers informing him he'd been in a collision.
Griffiths is said to be very remorseful for his actions.
He was fined £500 and banned from driving for a year.
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Kane Nickson:
Nickson, of Bramble Close, Buckley, admitted drug driving.
The 26-year-old was stopped by police on October 26, 2022 on Liverpool Road, Buckley whilst driving an Audi.
He was found to be positive for cocaine and ketamine - and admitted to officers he'd taken the drugs two hours previously.
The ketamine in Nickson's system was at a level of 153 micrograms per 100 litres of blood - the legal limit being 20. The cocaine was at 62 micrograms per 100 litres of blood - with the legal driving limit being 10.
The court was told that Nickson is thankful no one was hurt due to his drug driving, and has been clean from using drugs since his arrest.
He was ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for two years.
Stuart Pryde:
Pryde, of Nant Y Gro, Gronant, admitted drug driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
The court was told that Pryde, aged 33, had been driving a Ford on January 5. Shortly after 9pm he was stopped by officers on Nant Y Gro.
He was found to have 488 micrograms of amphetamine per litre of blood in his system, the legal driving limit being 250. He also had 17.5 micrograms per litre of blood of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a cannabinoid found in cannabis - the legal limit being 2.
Checks also revealed that Pryde was already disqualified from driving for another year.
The court heard that Pryde had endured a very difficult year prior to the offence - losing his father suddenly. He had never been in trouble with the law before the last year.
He appeared in court via video link from HMP Berwyn - where he was already serving a custodial sentence. District Judge Gwyn Jones sentenced Pryde to a further eight weeks in prison and disqualified him from driving for another 42 months.
Luke Robert Davies:
Davies, of Primrose Street, Connah's Quay, admitted drug driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
The court heard that the 23-year-old was driving a Vauxhall Astra on Mold Road in Connah's Quay when he was stopped by police officers.
A test found Davies to be positive for delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. It was in his system at a level of 3.4 micrograms per litre of blood.
Checks revealed he was also disqualified from driving - having not passed the advanced driving test he needed to take after a dangerous driving conviction in 2019.
Davies was handed an 18-week suspended prison sentence, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for a further 42 month.
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