Revealed: Drug drivers who faced Roma Magistrates Court

A medicinal cannabis user unaware of the lingering presence of THC and a driver on meth who was found with knives are among the latest drug drivers to face Roma court. DETAILS HERE.

A magistrate had licences taken away from multiple drivers after they appeared in the Roma Magistrates Court on January 9, all busted for drug driving offences.

Among the offenders who faced court were two cannabis self-medicators and two methamphetamine users.

CONVICTION RECORDED

• Terri Ann Laird pleaded guilty to driving with THC in her system, after she was caught driving eight hours after using a prescribed cannabis medication.

Laird, who was self-represented, told the court that she takes a cannabis medication that was prescribed to her online.

Laird said that she was not advised how long traces of THC would be in her system for and described herself as an “accidental idiot”.

Acting magistrate Cooke asked Laird to hand over her licence to the police prosecutor, disqualified her from driving for one month, and fined her $200.

• John Joseph Casey pleaded guilty to driving with THC in his system. Casey was stopped in Roma on November 3, and told police that he had smoked cannabis in the past two weeks.

The father of two told the court that he used cannabis as self-medication for chronic pain after an injury four years ago.

Mr Cooke fined the man $400 and disqualified him from driving for one month.

• Michael Leslie Castles pleaded guilty to drug driving after he was busted driving with methamphetamine in his system.

The 21-year-old was intercepted by police on September 27, and a drug test returned a positive reading for methamphetamine. Defence lawyer Leslee Reed told the court that his client was attending DrugARM.

Mr Cooke disqualified the man from driving for one month and fined the man $500.

NO CONVICTION RECORDED

• Zachary George Hayman pleaded guilty to drug driving, possessing a dangerous drug and possessing drug utensils after he was intercepted while driving in Roma.

Police prosecutor Ellysha Geddes told the court that Hayman had been intercepted by police for a roadside drug test.

Hayman denied to police that he had consumed drugs in the past two weeks, but his saliva sample tested positive for methamphetamine.

Police became more suspicious upon noticing that Hayman had two phones and, on the basis of reasonable suspicion, searched the man’s car. Police found a small knife, a glass pipe with crystal residue, and a clip seal bag with a small quantity of methamphetamine.

Mr Cooke considered that Hayman has no history of drug related offences, and the man was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for one month.