A driver arrested twice in five days for drug driving in Newtown has been banned from the roads for more than a year.
Kian Jones, aged 20, was pulled over by the same police officer who noted that he had "glazed over eyes" on the first occasion and "bloodshot and enlarged pupils" on the second time he was caught with cannabis in his system.
Jones, who had no previous convictions, admitted two counts of driving a black Fiat Punto with drugs in his system when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, November 21.
The court heard that after failing a roadside test on the B4568 on August 31, Jones was tested at the police station for drugs which revealed he had 2.3 micrograms of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, a metabolite of cannabis, when the legal limit is two micrograms.
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Five days later on September 4, Jones again failed a roadside test this time on Llanidloes Road into the Trehafren estate. He was arrested and taken to the station for another drug test which showed he had 2.4 micrograms of the same drug.
Robert Hanratty, representing Jones, told the court that his client's driving was not an issue when he was stopped by Police Constable Bufton but a "more of a deterrent".
The solicitor said: "Mr Jones was stopped for fairly technical issues by the officer. He was only slightly over the limit and then he was stopped again.
"There is very little science on the elimination of drugs from the body. I’ve read fairly widely about it for another case.
"It’s not an issue of impairment, I must say that to you. It was not a road safety issue, more of a deterrent.
"There is a bit of controversy in the science world over cannabis, but it is still an offence.
"These incidents were close together and it is likely the same cannabis detected in the second offence was in first offence."
Magistrates decided to ban Jones, of Chapel Street, Newtown, for 16 months and ordered him to pay a £350 fine, £140 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. Jones thanked the bench as he left the courtroom.
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