Ollerton partygoer caught with cocaine while over the limit

A young Ollerton partygoer was caught over the limit and carrying cocaine when he tried moving his van a short distance because he was blocking a neighbour's drive.
Mansfield Magistrates CourtMansfield Magistrates Court
Mansfield Magistrates Court

A police officer saw that Ayden McCartney’s transit van had a light missing, on Poplar Street, and when he spoke with him, smelled alcohol on his breath, at 12.30am, on June 24.

A test revealed he had 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

A bag with white powder was found on him at the police station.

Prosecutor Robert Carr said: “He told police he bought the cocaine at a festival a couple of weeks before and he had forgotten about it.”

Chris Perry, mitigating, said McCartney had battled depression for ten years while working as a chef, but now had a new job and was “fearful” he would have to return to cooking.

He said the decision to drive was “poor judgment”, but because of the short distance there was only “limited risk”.

McCartney, 26, of Alder Grove, New Ollerton, admitted possession of the Class A drug and driving with excess alcohol, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

District judge Jonathan Taaffe said: “For an intelligent young man you have made some bad decisions.

“You’re in charge of a lethal weapon when you get behind the wheel of a car.”

McCartney was fined £400 for the driving offence and £100 for the drugs.

He was banned for 16 months, but was offered a drink drive rehab course which will reduce the disqualification by 25 per cent, if he completes it before May 2019.