Joshua Graham convicted for drug driving on M1 freeway near Pottsville

Members of the public used their own cars to try and ‘box in’ a driver found to be fuelled by an exotic drug cocktail on the Pacific Motorway. See why the magistrate issued a wake-up call to a man poles’ apart from a ‘silly 18-year-old getting caught with a couple joints’.

Joshua Dan Graham, 40, has been convicted at Mullumbimby Local Court for drug driving. Picture: Savannah Pocock

Steel-balled members of the public used their own cars to try and ‘box in’ a driver found to be fuelled by an exotic drug cocktail on the Pacific Motorway in Northern NSW.

The erratic nature of Joshua Graham’s driving on the M1 near Pottsville on February 25 was so great it sparked nearly a dozen calls to Triple 0 by alarmed motorists.

Now he has been sentenced, after appearing at Mullumbimby Local Court on Wednesday, November 9, having previously plead guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.

The 40-year-old sparked 10 Triple 0 calls due to his “erratic driving”, which led several motorists to try and box him in, police documents state.

Witnesses said Graham was “accelerating quickly before braking harshly to a speed of 30km/h”.

“The accused was seen to change lanes multiple times, narrowly missing other motorists,” police state.

“The accused’s driving was so erratic and dangerous that police received approximately 10 calls to Triple 0.

“At one point, a number of motorists took it upon themselves to box the accused in their own vehicles to slow the accused down and prevent him from driving any further.”

When officers pulled Graham over, he was “staring at police with a large smile”.

“The accused was repeatedly grinding his teeth together, and uncontrollably changing his facial expressions,” police state.

“He was unable to hold a conversation, let alone put a sentence together - the accused sounded agitated and could not sit still in the driver’s seat.”

When Graham was asked if he had taken any drugs, he shrugged his shoulders.

A subsequent blood analysis revealed the Banora Point man was under the influence of amphetamine, methamphetamine, THC - a component of cannabis, Valium, two kinds of benzodiazepine, and a drug chemically similar to GHB.

A forensic pharmacologist who analysed his blood test results after Graham was admitted to hospital formed the opinion that his “ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired at the time of driving”.

On Wednesday, Mullumbimby court heard Graham “has cognitive problems” and had taken drugs before getting behind the wheel.

Magistrate Karen Stafford said the crime was serious.

“You are a role model and young men are influenced by the decisions the court makes,” Ms Stafford said.

“You weren’t a silly 18-year-old getting caught with a couple joints in your pocket at the Splendour in the Grass Festival.

“There should be some type of imprisonment.”

Graham was convicted and sentenced to a nine-month intensive corrections order with supervision, and his licence has been disqualified for 12 months.