A MOTORIST who crashed into a tree on a major Carlisle road was over the drug drive limit because he had taken cocaine the night before.

But the collision was probably caused not by the drug which 44-year-old Terence Holliday had taken 24 hours earlier but by an alcohol withdrawal blackout, magistrates sitting at the city’s Rickergate court heard.

Holliday, of Speckled Wood Drive, Carlisle, admitted driving while over the prescribed limit for a cocaine breakdown product.

Pam Ward, prosecuting, said police were alerted at 8.20pm on April 3 by reports of an accident on London Road, near to the road’s junction with Harraby Grove. Holliday’s Ford Focus had crashed into a tree.

Officers arrived at the scene to find the defendant walking around, appearing to be “extremely unsteady” on his feet. He provided a negative breath test for alcohol and he also passed a roadside drugs swipe test.

But when he was taken to the city’s Durranhill Police HQ, he failed a fitness test and a blood sample later confirmed that he had just over four times the legal limit for a cocaine breakdown product in his system.

“He admitted driving,” said Mrs Ward.

“He said he had taken cocaine the night before and remembered driving before the crash. His first recollection after the crash was hearing a member of the public saying: ‘You can’t drive that.’”

Mark Shepherd, defending, said Holliday was a man of positive previous good character, who had been an essential worker during the pandemic, even moving out of his family home so he could continue to do his job.

But his marriage had ended and this “utterly devastated” him, said the lawyer.

Mr Shepherd said: “He struggled for a long period of time and didn’t seek as much help as he should have done. He felt he should have been able to deal with the  negative emotions that required intensive help or therapy.”

Having reached his lowest point on the night of the accident, he was now being supported by his mother and sister. What happened had been genuinely out of character, said Mr Shepherd.

Of the cocaine use, the lawyer added: “It was his first time; it wasn’t a case of him going out and socialising; it wasn’t part of a night out.

“It was something to make him feel better for a short period of time. He didn’t drive that night because he felt he might be over the drug drive limit. He waited almost 24 hours, thinking he would be fit to drive…

“It wasn’t the drug which caused the crash; he suspects it may have been a blackout related to alcohol withdrawal.” Holliday was now in touch with his doctor and was taking antidepressant medication.

Magistrates said they accepted that the offence was out of character. They also noted the defendant’s remorse and that he had sought help for his issues. They imposed a one-year driving ban – the minimum for this offence.

They also fined Holliday £415, with £85 costs ad a £42 victim surcharge.