Drug driver's excuse met with disbelief by court

Jul 29, 2021

The excuse from a driver that he “couldn’t explain” how methamphetamine turned up in his drug test has been met with disbelief by a magistrate.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Wayne Peter Ramsey, 55, of Merrigum, pleaded guilty in Echuca Magistrates’ Court to drug driving and disqualified driving.

Prosecutor Acting Sergeant Paul Bush told the court methamphetamine was detected in an oral fluid drug test when Ramsey was stopped by police in Kyabram on September 2, 2020.

The court also heard Ramsey’s driver’s licence had been disqualified four months earlier after his car was clocked by police doing 180km/h on the Hume Fwy.

Ramsey, however, told the court his daughter had the car at the time and he didn’t know who was driving.

When questioned by magistrate Ross Betts about how the drugs came to be in his system, Ramsey said other family members were drug users, but that he was not — an answer that was met with disbelief by the magistrate.

“That is not a satisfactory answer,” Mr Betts told Ramsey.

The court also heard how Ramsey had prior history for driving without a licence.

Ramsey was fined $1200 and his driver’s licence was disqualified for a further six months.