A MAN stopped by police in Chester as he was using his mobile phone while driving was found to have two drugs in his system.

Ian Michael Ellis, 32, of West End Avenue, Royston, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to drug-driving with ketamine and a breakdown of cannabis, as well as using a mobile phone while driving, when he appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, February 7.

He received a driving ban and a fine.

Prosecuting, Michael O'Kane said it was on September 30, 2022 when police stopped Ellis in Trinity Street, in his VW Caddy, after he was seen to have done a three-point turn while on the phone.

The officer said the vehicle was "seen to wheelspin and there was a plume of smoke". Upon seeing Ellis, the officer said the defendant's eyes were bloodshot and he could smell cannabis.

Ellis had one previous conviction, for possession of cannabis, from 2009.

Defending, Richard Sibeon said Ellis had entered a prompt guilty plea. The defendant was a self-employed plasterer, doing a job in Chester at a relatively new business, and the postcode he had put into the Satnav had led to the wrong place.

He had rung his boss to direct him to the right place, but accepted he should not have done this while driving.

He accepted responsibility for the drugs, and was "greatly concerned" about his job.

A pre-sentence report said Ellis disputed the issue of his driving, and had not been fully aware of how long drugs stay in the system.

He said he felt "absolutely fine", having had cannabis the night before "to help him sleep", and had taken ketamine.

Ellis had said he felt "very sorry" for what had had done, knowing he could have seriously harmed someone, and was thankful no harm was caused.

He was "adamant" he had learned his lesson, and since the incident was now completely clean.

Magistrates banned Ellis from driving for 23 months and ordered him to pay a £961 fine, plus a £384 victim surcharge and £120 court costs.