Derbyshire man twice caught drug driving had got behind the wheel to assist mentally unwell friend, court told

James O’Keefe was stopped by officers after he was spotted driving the wrong way up a one-way street in the Two Dales area of Matlock by police on January 16, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday, October 7.

Then, in a separate incident, he was again stopped by police on April 18 in Bakewell Road, Matlock and officers detected a strong smell of cannabis in his car.

Prosecuting, Neil Fawcett said that when O’ Keefe, 33, of Moor Lane, Darley Dale Matlock, was stopped in the first incident, tests showed that he had a quantity of MDMA in his system, and when taken to the police station, officers found some cannabis and the knife.

“He was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred,” he said. “At the police station he was searched and a kitchen knife and some cannabis was found in his sock.”

O’ Keefe admitted two counts of drug driving, possession of the knife and possession of a Class B drug when he appeared before the court.

Mitigating, Karl Meakin said that when O’ Keefe was stopped in January he had been returning from assisting a mentally unwell friend, who had been threatening to harm himself with the knife, and the defendant had it in his possession to prevent the friend from hurting himself after he left his property.

He said: “He had been out the previous evening and he had been partying with friends and he had taken the MDMA as a recreational drug. He had been partying through the night and had taken a considerable amount and it was still in his system.

“There were concerns about a friend who might harm himself and the defendant was unwell - he was on a comedown - and he had not intended to drive.”

Magistrates gave O’ Keefe a 14-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months and ordered him to complete six rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service.

He was banned from driving for 18 months and must pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £122 victim surcharge. Magistrates also ordered that the cannabis and the knife be destroyed.

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