A Worcestershire tree surgeon has expressed deep remorse after being caught driving under the influence of cannabis, having unknowingly taken a drag from a joint handed to him by a passenger, a court has heard.
Richard Smith, 50, from Stourport-Upon-Severn, believed he was smoking a cigarette as he drove his Ford Transit along Green Lane, Handsworth on April 4. However, police observed the passenger pass him a joint laced with THC. A subsequent blood test revealed Smith was over the legal limit for Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of cannabis.
Smith pleaded guilty to drug driving at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and received a one-year driving ban. Prior to the formal sentence, the DVLA had already been alerted to the offence and suspended his driving privileges for several weeks.
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In addition to the ban, Smith was fined £120 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and prosecution costs. Through a letter read to the court, Smith admitted using cannabis previously to manage sleep issues but denied any daytime or work-related use. He stated: “I am genuinely remorseful, fully accept the seriousness of the offence, and understand the importance of road safety. Since my arrest in April, I have abstained from cannabis entirely and am determined to avoid such mistakes in the future.”
The prosecution emphasized that the incident occurred while Smith was driving for work and that his blood THC levels exceeded the legal threshold of 2.0 ng/ml. Smith’s solicitor highlighted his limited criminal record and underscored the significant impact of the driving ban on his self-employed tree surgery business.
The court acknowledged the complexity of the case but maintained that road safety remains paramount, confirming Smith’s ban and fines as appropriate consequences.