Fenland drug driver had two knives in car's glove box

A Wisbech drug-driver who had two lock knives in his car has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Ian Hall, 30, said the knives found in his glove box were for work purposes.

He was driving a BMW estate which police pulled over on the main road near Hunstanton.

“Police could smell cannabis coming from the vehicle and the defendant himself,” prosecutor Katherine Emms told King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Hall failed a drug wipe and cannabis worth about £7 was found in the driver’s door.

“He admitted to having had cannabis that morning and said he takes it most evenings,” added Miss Emms.

A test in custody showed he had 18 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood in his system (the legal limit being 10) and 10microgrammes of a cannabis breakdown product (limit two).

Hall, of Lime Avenue, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug-driving, possession of a knife blade in a public place and possession of a class B controlled drug.

In mitigation, solicitor Richard Mann said his client had found it hard to accept that the knives were deemed to be in a public place as they were kept in his glovebox in a locked car.

Mr Mann added that Hall said he had rubbed cocaine in his mouth to relieve toothache.

Hall was given a 12-month community order with 80 hours’ unpaid work. He was also disqualified from driving for 16 months on each charge, to run concurrently, and told to pay £145 costs and £95 victim surcharge.