A MOTORIST who called the police to report a woman for allegedly damaging his car was tested for cocaine – and found to be over the limit, a court heard.

Anthony Brown, 39, is now facing possible financial ruin as a result of the inevitable driving ban that he faces, his defence lawyer told a district judge at Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor Jackie Partington described how police went out to a stretch of the A69 on May 5 after the defendant called them.

When the officers arrived at the scene, they decided it was appropriate to administer a roadside drugs swipe test on Brown and it yielded a positive result for cocaine.

A later blood test confirmed he had 154mcgt of a cocaine breakdown product in every litre of blood. That was slightly over three times the limit.

The court heard the defendant had previous driving offences on his record but they dated back to 2014 and included a drug driving conviction from 2009.

Chris Toms, defending, said Brown had been out the night before he was caught after a woman he was with became 'increasingly drunk.'

At some point, she kicked and damaged his Vauxhall van, said the lawyer. 

“That was why he stopped and called the police – because his vehicle had been damaged,” said Mr Toms.

In his police interview, Brown admitted to using cocaine the day before but not on the day he called the police. “He didn’t particularly feel under the influence,” said Mr Toms.

The lawyer pointed out the age of the defendant’s previous convictions, saying that Brown is a self-employed joiner and a family man. Commenting on the looming driving ban, Mr Toms said: “His future income will be considerably less.

“Hopefully, he’ll be able to work for somebody else but he may be about to face financial ruin.”

District Judge John Temperley noted that it was almost a decade since Brown was regularly before the courts. “I hope that this is just a one-off,” said the judge.

Judge Temperley concluded that Brown would not have called the police if he suspected he might be over the drug drive limit. “The trouble with taking drugs like cocaine is that you never know whether they are out of your system," he said.

“The only way to ensure that is not to have them in your system at all.”

Brown, of Telford Street, Gateshead, was fined £400, with a £160 surcharge and £85 costs. The District Judge imposed a one-year driving ban.