A DRUG-DRIVER was caught behind the wheel in Hereford when he was over five times the limit.

Jordon Taylor, 26, of Belmont Road, Hereford, had 276ug of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in his blood when police stopped him at the underground car park of Tesco in Bewell Street. 

Mark Hambling, prosecuting at Hereford Magistrates Court on November 8, said police spotted a red Kia swerving on the road near Tesco just after 11pm on April 29.

"His driving caused concern for an officer on patrol, who stopped the vehicle. A swab test was positive for cocaine," said Mr Hambling.

"He was taken to custody and provided blood. The reading was 276 for benzoylecgonine and the limit is 50."

However, Mr Hambling said that Taylor was a "person of good character", with magistrates recognising that he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

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The defence, Chris Reid, said that Taylor had used cocaine 24 hours before getting behind the wheel, and didn't know it was still in his system.

At the time, he was an occasional cocaine user, said Mr Reid, but is no longer using drugs.

Magistrates disqualified Taylor from driving for a year and fined him £500. He also has to pay court costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £200.