Devon man caught drug-driving was dealt goods by his sister

David Pridmore was stopped by police officers in Clacton after they were told he was transporting “large quantities” of Class A drugs in October 2020.

It was revealed Pridmore, 42, had 0.2g of cocaine in his possession, but he had been driving without a licence or insurance, and had 68mcg per litre of cocaine in his blood. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard Pridmore’s sister had conspired against him after tensions between them boiled over at their uncle’s funeral.

Sentence - Colchester Magistrates' Court

Lucy Osborn, mitigating, said: “She simply wanted to get him in trouble. She advised the police there were large quantities of Class A drugs in his vehicle.

“They found that wasn’t the case but he did have a small amount of cocaine in his pocket. It was given to him by his sister but he has to take responsibility.”

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The court heard on February 2, 2021, Pridmore headed to see his sister to help her move house, not knowing what she had done.

He was again stopped on his way home at the petrol station in Colchester’s Hythe Tesco after the police were told he had been “allegedly snorting cocaine while driving”.

Arrest - a previous police incident at Colchester's Hythe Tesco (Image: Newsquest)

Prosecutor Samah Abdulla said he was found to be at more than 30x the legal cocaine limit, having 328mcg per litre of the drug in his blood, as well as an excess amount of cannabis.

Ms Abdulla continued: “He tells me he is an individual who relies on alcohol and drugs when things get tough in life.”

Pridmore, of Seaton Junction, Devon, admitted three counts of drug driving, possession of cocaine and driving without a licence and insurance.

He was handed a 14-week suspended sentence, banned from driving for five years and ordered to undertake 200-hours of unpaid work.

District Judge Christopher Williams said: “When you have a limited ability to concentrate it is going to increase the risk of accidents happening.

“Given you have taken some strides to limit alcohol and drug reliance, I will conclude there is a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation."