Salisbury man banned for driving '30 yards' after taking ketamine

David Thornton, 30, had taken ketamine before deciding to drive his Skoda Fabia from a car park to outside his house on Verona Road.

Two concerned neighbours called the police and officers arrived at 8pm on April 9.

Salisbury Magistrates Court heard how neighbours reported seeing a youth on the floor not responding and another vehicle trying to leave the scene with an intoxicated driver.

Thornton was identified as the driver of the vehicle by the beanie he was wearing.

Police found Thornton in an alleyway near his house who said the youth, his friend, was "in a k hole" and had white powder in his nose.

David Thornton moved his car from this car park on Verona Road. (Image: Google Maps)

Thornton was arrested and taken to custody where it was discovered that he had 73 microgrammes of ketamine in a litre of his blood, 53mcg over the legal limit.

The court heard how Thornton has seven previous convictions for eight offences and he was last convicted for driving a vehicle while unfit through drugs or drink on January 6, 2020.

Paul Jones, defending, said: "On the day in question he had no intention of driving the vehicle.

"The car was parked in the residents' car park at the bottom of the road. He could not park outside his own property. Seeing there was a spot, he moved it some 30 yards."

Mr Jones said his client has "suffered from ADHD at a very significant scale for most of his life".

He was taken off Ritalin and has been self-medicating with ketamine but developed an addiction three to four years ago.

Thornton's mother acts as his power of attorney and gives him an allowance to try to prevent him from buying the drug.

"He is desperate to get off that addiction," Mr Jones said.

Magistrates sentenced Thornton to a 12-month community order during which he must complete 14 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 6-month drug rehabilitation course.

He was also disqualified from driving for three years and must pay £279.