A MARLBOROUGH jockey high on cocaine, who was caught 14 times over the drug-driving limit, was handed a three-year driving ban by North West Wiltshire Magistrates last Thursday.

Samuel Hanks, 25, of Maurice Way, was pulled over by police at 9.30pm on Tuesday, February 16 while driving a Volkswagen Polo along the A4 in Calne when officers saw his brake light was not working.

On stopping Hanks the officer saw his pupils were dilated and after a search of the car found a small quantity of cannabis.

A later test found he had 137 nanograms of cocaine per millilitre of blood despite the legal limit being only 10 nanograms.

On being arrested, Hanks attempted to pass himself off as friend Gareth Bartlett, from whom he had taken the car without consent.

Tony Nowogrodzki, for the defence, said: “The defendant is shortly going to be 26 and is a likeable young man and has no record of drugs.

“He was at home and decided he would go to buy some cannabis and jumped into his friend’s car and it did not even occur to him that his friend would say no.

“He was pulled over by police who noticed his eyes were dilated. He gave the officer false details.

“If he was an experienced criminal then he would have known that the police would have been able to quickly find out his name.”

Hanks was disqualified from driving for three years and handed a 12-month community order, for which he will have to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was charged with five separate offences including driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance, obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty, possession of cannabis and taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Mr Nowogrodzki added: “As you can imagine he has had a lot of time to think on the offence. He gave a full admission to the police without a solicitor.”

Hanks’s probation officer Jo Austen said: “He did appear remorseful for his actions. He has moved out of the address where he was living and is now back with his mum.

“He is looking to get back into horse racing soon and he says that he drinks very rarely and that cocaine use is also rare.”