Incident in the Lake District
A 23-year-old man has narrowly avoided a driving disqualification after being found with cannabis in his system while preparing for a hike up Scafell Pike. William Maxwell Robinson was approached by police at 4:50 am in the car park of the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Kendal, where officers noticed his vehicle's headlights were left on.
Legal Consequences
Robinson, who had travelled from Cambridge, underwent a roadside DrugWipe test which returned a positive result for cannabis. Subsequent testing revealed a reading of 5.5 mcg/L, exceeding the legal limit of 2.0 ug/L for driving.
Appearing at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court, Robinson pleaded guilty to being in charge of a motor vehicle while over the specified drug limit. His defence solicitor noted that there was no evidence of significant impairment and highlighted that the defendant has since ceased cannabis use.
Magistrates opted to endorse his licence with ten penalty points rather than imposing a ban, citing the importance of his licence for his employment. In addition to the points, Robinson was ordered to pay a £580 fine, £85 in court costs, and a £232 victim surcharge.
Source: News and Star
