A YOUNG man caught driving while under the influence of cannabis for the second time has been banned from the roads for three years.
Police spotted Alfie Appleton, 24, behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta in Ludgershall after he smoked the class B drug on January 18, 2025.
Officers caught a whiff of cannabis when they pulled Appleton over and said he knew a drugs swipe would return a positive result.
Prosecuting, Victoria Hill said: “Police officers witnessed the defendant driving. When they stopped him, there was an overwhelming smell of cannabis coming from the car.”
She also said his eyes were “glazed” and he was sweating at a hearing at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday, June 26.
A roadside test revealed the proportion of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in his blood measured 2.2 micrograms per litre. The legal limit is two micrograms per litre.
THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis.
Appleton, who lives in Pilgrims Way in Andover, knew before he entered the dock that he would receive a lengthy driving ban because he committed the same offence in November 2021, receiving a one-year disqualification.
Defending, Nick Redhead said: “Mr Appleton made a series of mistakes to which he owns up. He was moving his vehicle looking for somewhere to park.
“Police saw him and pulled him over. His health, particularly his mental health, at the time of the offence, was not good, but it has since improved.
“He was only just over the cannabis limit. We often see far higher readings.”
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Mr Redhead said Appleton works for bakery chain Greggs as a trainee engineer in Amesbury – a location he can reach by public transport, although he has concerns about getting there on bank holidays and Sundays.
Appleton was sentenced by district judge Timothy Pattinson, who said: “I do give you credit for your guilty plea. Obviously, this is made worse by your previous conviction.”
Alongside the “mandatory” three-year ban, the judge fined Appleton £400 and ordered him to pay a £160 surcharge and £85 in costs.
Appleton said he will sell his Ford car, which he recently paid to have an MOT, to be able to pay his fine on time.
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