A MAN handed over a ‘small bag’ of cocaine to police officers after he was arrested for erratic driving in the Dromore area, a court has heard.
Justin Patrick Daniel Lawn (36), of Edenamohill Road, Ederney, appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court charged with driving whilst unfit by drink/drugs and possession of a class A drug.
The court heard that on July 9, 2023, just after 5.30 the police received a report of a white Mercedes swerving over the centre line on the Omagh Road in Dromore.
The police located the vehicle and stopped it before identifying the driver as the defendant.
They noticed that the defendant’s pupils were constricted and subjected Lawn to a roadside breathalyser.
Although the breathalyser test was negative for alcohol, the police detained the defendant due to his erratic behaviour.
Upon getting out of the car, Lawn handed the police a small bag of white powder, which he informed them was cocaine.
It was noted in court by a pre-sentence report that from 2022 onwards, Lawn had been suffering from difficulties and a series of offending, which added weight to the case.
Defence counsel Craig Patton informed the court that it had been a difficult few years for the Enniskillen man and he had been attending with probation weekly when the offence occurred.
Mr Patton added that despite the difficulties, Lawn had been attending rehabilitation, which he said ‘seems to be going well’.
Deputy district judge Peter Prenter said that Lawn’s record was ‘slippy’, however it was ‘light’.
The Judge made note that efforts had been made to address Lawn’s issues and issued a £550 fine alongside a driving disqualification of 18 months.
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