A HORSHAM man is disqualified from driving for 14 months after he was nabbed driving under the influence of methamphetamine twice within a week.
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Calvin Pendlebury, 30, appeared at Horsham Magistrates’ Court on Monday and represented himself.
The court heard that on July 20, 2018, the accused was driving on Pynsent Street, Horsham when he was intercepted by police.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Michelle Wentworth said police conducted an oral fluid test at the scene which returned a positive result for illicit drugs.
“Further analysis detected traces of methamphetamine,” she said.
The court heard that on July 27, the accused was driving on Hamilton Street, Horsham and was once again intercepted by police. An oral fluid test at the scene returned a positive result for illicit drugs.
The accused was taken to Horsham Police Station where a sample analysis showed the presence of methamphetamine.
“Giving his reason why he was driving under the influence of drugs, the accused told police that he ‘had to pick up someone’, and he ‘didn’t know the drugs were still in (his) system’,” Senior Constable Wentworth said.
The court heard the accused had one relevant prior offence.
Magistrate Ronald Saines asked the accused whether he had a drug problem, to which the accused replied: “No.”
“If you keep doing this, you’ll end up in jail. I don’t accept the idea that your second positive reading was a continuation of the first instance of using,” Mr Saines said.
Mr Saines asked the accused if he remembered whether he had used methamphetamine between the two positive readings. The accused said he couldn’t remember.
The accused was fined $800 for each offence, plus court costs, and was disqualified from driving for 14 months.
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