A 19-year-old motorist had taken a “cocktail of drugs” on a Saturday night bender before he was seen by police driving “fast and recklessly”.

Michael McCombe was driving a Ford Fiesta just before 2am on January 9 but police had been unable to catch up with the vehicle, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the defendant had driven past the officers again, just past the Brewer’s Fayre car park in Distington and he was stopped.

A drugs wipe was positive and McCombe was arrested and taken to the police station. Blood samples were taken which showed McCombe was over the limit for four different drugs. These were:

  • 2.7mcg of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The limit is 2mcg.
  • 24mcg of Ketamine per litre of blood. The limit is 20mcg.
  • 73mcg of MDMA per litre of blood. The limit is 10mcg.
  • 369mcg of Benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The limit is 50mcg.

Ms Fee said there were passengers in the vehicle, as well as the bad driving.

McCombe, of Meadowlands, Broughton Moor, pleaded guilty to four charges of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.

John Cooper, defending, said: “It’s a guilty plea at the first opportunity. It’s going to be an important lesson for him. A young man never before the court before.

“He has taken them [the drugs] on Saturday. This is Monday. It’s some time since he had taken them.

“He is stopped at Brewer’s Fayre and co-operated throughout.

“He is going to be disqualified and it’s not going to be the minimum.”

Passing sentence, Michael Coulson, chair of the magistrates, said the defendant had taken a “cocktail of drugs” and was driving with passengers in the vehicle. He said the standard of driving was “poor”.

Mr Coulson told the defendant: “You have been incredibly stupid. Four different drugs and it’s not that long after your Saturday night bender.

“You take cannabis regularly and you’re not willing to address that.”

McCombe was banned from driving for 28 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He must pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

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