Have i any defence at all?

Convicted Driver Insurance

harrythegoon

New Member
Hi,

In December of 2019 i was approaching a roundabout and could see a checkpoint further ahead. At the time i was under the influence of cannabis and i also had a front headlight gone on the car which i genuinely attempted to replace the previous day but they did not have the particular bulbs i use. This store is the cheapest for this particular bulb as they always give me a discounted price so i decided to do without the bulb for a few days until they had them back in stock.

I knew i was in trouble so i took the risk of turning at the roundabout and i pulled in to a parking space nearby. I then sat there full of panic thinking about what a close call i just had but little did i know/forget that the headlight was gone on my car and they had noticed this and came after me. They pulled in beside me and i was asked if i was aware my bulb was gone to which i explained the details above. At this point they smelled cannabis from inside the car and searched the car but found nothing. I admitted however that i had smoked a joint.

I was told that they had reason to believe i was under the influence and that i would have to leave my car where it was and come back to the station with them to do a blood test which i of course had to. I was cheekily told at the time which i know is irrelevant but i thought it was quiet cheeky for the oficcer to say to me "you should have just kept driving or got out and walked away when you parked because i had no intention of chasing after you"

Anyway i have since got my blood results which are 6.1 for thc. Not quiet sure how much that is but i certainly know that iam over the limit.

My defence is as follows (which is the actual truth)

I have suffered with health issues for over 7 years (iam sure my doctor can verify this) These health issues have never been diagnosed as the doctors i have seen are not quiet sure what is wrong with me. They include fatigue, skin conditions, eye problems and my sex life has also been affected. Because of this i have suffered alot of anxiety and a year prior to this incident i began smoking cannabis and it helped enormously with my anxiety. I was eventually put in touch with a "friend" who was supplying me with medical grade cannabis (obtained illegally of course) and this is what i had been smoking the night i was caught.

I quit cannabis literally that night and have not smoked a joint since. I asked the officer shortly afterwards if it was worth my while seeking regular testing to prove i no longer smoke but received no reply and likewise i put forth the same question to the solicitor who was supposed to represent me at the time and got no reply. Because i no longer smoke my anxiety is pretty bad but i refuse to take medication as i had done some years ago and the side effects were awful.

I have never been in trouble before. I also honestly did not know of the consequences of smoking cannabis and driving. That night i planned to smoke a joint before bed (which is the only time i smoked) but my gf asked me to pick her up from a night out as she had difficulty finding a taxi and i foolishly thought i would be ok to finish the joint while driving to pick her up.

Have i any credible defence? My health issues? The fact i was technically parked when they came up beside me? This is causing me a great deal of stress and iam eager to put this behind me asap but fear its going to end in a driving ban plus criminal conviction which will stay with me for years which i feel is very unfair for smoking a plant. I refute any claims of impairment as my driving skills were fine and i do not believe i was a danger to anyone but i was also unaware that this is sadly irrelevant it seems.

Any advice ?
 
Enter code DRINKDRIVING10 during checkout for 10% off
Top