A drug-driver who had his car keys swiped by a person who feared his driving could result in an accident made the mistake of walking to the nearest police station to request for them back.
As a result, motorist Michael Watts found himself being tested for driving while unfit through drugs, and subsequently charged with the offence.
The incident took place on April 7 as Watts, 32, was driving along the St Davids Road, Pembrokeshire.
“The defendant attended the police station to collect his keys because a male had taken them from him, saying [the defendant] wasn’t going to be safe on the road,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.
“He was taken back to the vehicle and police officers could see that it had been involved in a collision with a wall.”
Ms Vaughan informed magistrates that subsequent blood tests confirmed that Watts, of Cartlett, Haverfordwest, had 112ug/L of Benzoylecgonine in his system which is a metabolite of cocaine. The specified legal limit is 50.
Watts pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle while unfit through drugs.
He was legally represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher who iinformed the magistrates that his client had been driving through ‘an alleyway’ when his Seat Ibiza collided with a wall.
“A member of the public took his keys from him and told him that he was taking them to the police station,” he said.
“The defendant then attended the police station and admitted that he’d been driving the vehicle at the time of the collision and that he’d taken cocaine the previous night. But the metabolite was still in his system.
“To a certain extent it was his own honesty that brings him here today because he went to the police station of his own accord.
“If he hadn’t, he might not have faced these charges.”
Mr Kelleher added that at the time of the offence Watts was training to be a security guard.
“Unfortunately, he will no longer be able to take up that line of work,” said Mr Kelleher. “He very much regrets what happened.”
After listening to the mitigation, magistrates disqualified Watts from driving for 17 months.
He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 surcharge.
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