A Pembrokeshire scaffolder has appeared before magistrates after being caught driving when he was ten times over the prescribed drug-drive limit.

Dylan Blunsden was stopped by police officers as he drove his Vauxhall Corsa van along the A477 at Sentry Cross, near Milford Haven, on the afternoon of March 4.

“His eyes were glazed,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

A roadside drug swipe proved positive and Blunsden, 27, was taken to Haverfordwest custody suite for further blood tests to be carried out. These confirmed he had 552 mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system, which is a metabolite of cocaine. The specified limit for BZE is 50.

Blunsden, of Devon Drive, Pembroke, pleaded guilty to the charge of drug-driving. He was legally represented by Mr Michael Kelleher who said the defendant is employed as a scaffolder for a local company.

“He’s a good worker and is not a regular taker of drugs,” stated Mr Kelleher.

“His company, just like other places he works for, do drugs testing on a regular basis so he can’t afford to ake drugs.”

But Mr Kelleher went on to say that Blunsden had taken cocaine two nights before his arrest.

“He wasn’t affected by the drugs as all the affects are gone after two days, but the drugs obviously still remain in the system," he said.

“There was nothing wrong with his driving, but it was simply a routine stop.”

Blunsden was disqualified from driving for a total of three years as this was his second similar conviction in a ten-year period. In 2020 he was convicted of drink-driving .

He was fined £300 and ordered to pay a £120 court surcharge and £85 costs.

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