Nambucca apprentice Che Lance Sutton in Macksville court for drug driving

A teen apprentice had to get lifts to TAFE last time he was disqualified from driving, and now he has been detected driving with meth in his system. See what happened in court.

Che Lance Sutton appeared at Macksville Local Court.

A teenage apprentice had been “experimenting” with drugs at home before he was picked up driving on the Mid-North Coast, a court has heard.

Che Lance Sutton was before Macksville Local Court on Thursday pleading guilty to a charge of drive vehicle with an illicit drug present in his blood – second offence.

Magistrate Mal Macpherson said it was very “foolish” behaviour.

“This is your second offence – you got caught before, drink driving,” Mr Macpherson said.

Sutton’s lawyer told the court Sutton lived at his parents house about 1km south of Macksville and had been “experimenting” with drugs around 3pm before driving into Macksville around 9.15pm on October 15.

Che Lance Sutton at Macksville Local Court on February 9.

“There was no erratic behaviour, he is not a regular user,” his lawyer told the court.

When Sutton was stopped for a random test, methylamphetamine was detected in his system by way of a saliva test.

His lawyer told the court Sutton believed the substance was cocaine but the saliva test “proved he was in error”.

The third-year apprentice boilermaker is employed in the Nambucca Valley.

The court heard that during his prior disqualification from driving last year, he was able to get lifts with friends to his weekly TAFE classes at Coffs Harbour.

Mr Macpherson adjourned the matter to March 9 for sentencing and ordered that Sutton take part in the traffic offenders program.

“If you drive and you use, you may get caught,” he said.

“It’s about time you did the traffic offenders program to understand that a licence is a privilege not a right.”