A CHESTER motorist who hit a pedestrian who had stepped out into the road was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving for the second time.

Joseph Leonard Brett, 21, of Lache Lane, then refused to give a blood test in custody, saying he was "scared of needles", despite having given the required drugs test on a previous occasion.

Appearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday, February 15, Brett – who pleaded guilty to two counts of drug-driving and a charge of failing to provide a specimen for analysis – was handed a suspended sentence.

Prosecuting, Simon Green said the first offence happened at 12.50am on August 2, 2020, when Brett was driving on the A5119 in Northop, Flintshire, in a red Volkswagen Golf.

Police stopped him and Brett gave a positive roadside drugs test. Further analysis showed he was over the legal limit for cannabis and cocaine in his bloodstream.

On January 23, police were called to the road traffic collision in Lache Lane, where it was said a man had walked out into the road and Brett's VW Golf hit him.

Police spoke to Brett, who had remained at the scene, and noticed a smell of cannabis.

Brett gave a positive roadside swab test but subsequently refused to provide a sample in custody, telling officers several times he was "scared of needles".

He had no previous convictions.

Defending, Richard Thomas said Brett had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to the offences.

For the January incident, Brett was simply driving when a man, "behaving quite strangely", had gone into the road and struck the car through no fault of the defendant, Mr Thomas explained.

Brett had then waited for police to arrive and had identified himself, co-operating with the swab procedure.

Mr Thomas said Brett had been a promising young footballer, but had unfortunately not got taken on, and his life had been going backwards, not forwards, since then.

Brett had taken to using cocaine and cannabis on "an increasingly large level", and would be willing to co-operate with the probation service's recommendations.

He was also "genuinely sorry" for what he had done.

Chair of magistrates Alf Bean said the offences had crossed the custody threshold, and Brett was "in a way fortunate to be sentenced for both" offences at the same time.

Brett was sentenced to 12 weeks, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for two years and told to pay £85 court costs and a £128 victim surcharge.