Court Report: Boston driver on an 'abysmal cocktail of drugs' collided with road sign

District Judge Peter Veits told Ricky Truepenny that he had been fortunate not to kill himself or someone else when he got in his girlfriend’s Audi A1 with high levels of amphetamine and cocaine in his system.

The 34-year-old, who was on post-sentence supervision at the time, was also uninsured, Boston Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday.

Shelley Wilson, prosecuting, said the Audi collided with a directional sign at the roundabout junction of Liquorpond Street, John Adams Way and Spalding Road at about 11.15am on November 28 last year.

Following arrest for failing a drug wipe, 34-year-old Truepenny gave readings of 420 micrograms of amphetamine per litre of blood (legal limit 250), 29 micrograms of cocaine (limit 10) and more than 800 micrograms of a cocaine body-breakdown product (limit 50).

Miss Wilson said: “In interview, he said it was his girlfriend’s car. He had taken cocaine earlier and had slept for eight hours between taking the drug and driving. He said he lost control at the roundabout.

“The defendant said he was insured to his own vehicle – a Mercedes – but wasn’t sure about his girlfriend’s car.”

Truepenny, who pleaded guilty to three drug-drive matters and having no insurance, had “incurred the wrath of his girlfriend”, said Helen Coney in mitigation.

“Because it was her car that was taken into storage by the police and has not been released.

“A payment had been missed and the insurance had lapsed,” she added.

Her client had mental health difficulties and was “effectively self-medicating” with the drugs, said Miss Coney.

Sentencing Truepenny to six weeks’ custody, suspended for one year, the judge told Truepenny: “It was an abysmal cocktail of drugs you had in your system. If you really want to do something with your life you need to get this sorted, and stop keeping drug dealers in business.”

Truepenny, of St Nicholas Close, was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay £239 in costs.