A man from Cwmbran who was stopped by police in Carew has pleaded guilty to charges relating to motoring and drugs.
Thirty-seven-year-old Robert Barnby of Bagley Court, Thornhill was charged with driving a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled drug; failure to have a licence; and having no insurance when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The defendant also admitted an offence of obstructing a police officer in the execution of his/her duty.
The court heard how at 1.30 am on April 20, police officers stopped Mr. Branby in a Ford Fiesta near Carew roundabout.
He was arrested after he failed a roadside drugs test, and there was also an allegation of bad driving, prosecutor, Vaughan Pritchard-Jones said.
He told the court that the defendant had several previous convictions was released by police after giving false details when interviewed.
Defence solicitor, Mike Kelleher, told the court that Mr. Barnby’s brother was drinking and the defendant had volunteered to take over driving.
He added that the matter got ‘out of control’ and that it was foolish for his client to start driving when he didn’t have a full licence.
Mr. Kelleher said that the only reason his client gave false details to the police was because he was worried that he wouldn’t have been granted bail.
He explained that when the charge was being processed, Mr. Branby was expecting his details to come up due to advantages in fingerprint technology.
Magistrates also heard that police notified the defendant by letter asking him to come back to the police station, and that he had eventually surrendered himself and accepted that he had misled the police.
The defendant was fined £240 in total for the obstruction charge and for having no insurance, and was given an 18-month driving ban.
Mr. Barnby was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution cost along with a £30 victim surcharge.