A DRUG-DRIVER was caught behind the wheel after he was stopped for an unrelated matter, a court has heard.

Lee Anthony Samuel Davies, of Biddulph Way, Ledbury, admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford on August 5.

John Dove, prosecuting, said officers were on patrol in Ledbury on February 3, when they saw a silver BMW 320D pull onto the forecourt of the town’s Esso petrol station on The Homend.

Officers followed, spoke to Davies, and carried out a roadside drug test, which returned a positive result for cocaine.

The 31-year-old was arrested and taken into custody in Hereford, where an evidential blood test revealed he had 128 microgrammes of cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine per litre of blood.

Chris Read, for Davies, said it was a straightforward matter.

“He came to the attention of the police because they wanted to speak to him about an unrelated matter which has since come to nothing,” Mr Read said.

“The result of the test is what brings him here today, and he accepts that he had used the drugs at some stage in the past.

“There was nothing wrong with his driving, but police wanted to speak to him and took the opportunity when they saw his car.”

Davies was disqualified from driving for three years and fined £120. He was also ordered to pay costs of £135 and a £32 victim surcharge.