A YOUNG man has been caught drug driving – for the second time.

Elliot King was banned from driving for 18 months when he appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court yesterday.

The Mold court heard how police saw a VW Polo at Ewloe at 11pm on June 19.

It was described as swerving towards the centre of the road, explained prosecutor Justin Espie.

When stopped in Holywell Road, Northop, there was a strong smell of cannabis in the car.

A roadside saliva test proved positive and he was found to have a reading of 2.1 mg compared to the legal limit of two.

Victoria Evans, defending, said her client had previously been stopped in May and had been dealt with by a Cheshire court in August.

He did not therefore face a mandatory three year driving ban.

While the previous convictions could not be ignored and was an aggravating feature, she said that if both matters had been dealt with together he was unlikely to have received a three year ban.

He was “marginally over” the limit, she said.

Miss Evans said King had a very supportive family and his father was a chaplain and a major in the army.

The defendant was a regular user of cannabis and his family were trying to access help for him.

He was a well educated man who had been to private school and who had many benefits in life.

The defendant had lost his job, was currently on benefits and it was intended that he should go back to college.

King, 18, of Church Road in Northop, admitted drug driving and in addition to the 18 month driving ban, he was fined £100 with £85 costs and a £30 surcharge by Deputy District Judge Gerallt Jones.

It was a matter of concern that he had been caught twice within a matter of weeks, he said.

The judge warned him that if he was caught again then he could be sent into custody.