A DRUG driver who was stopped by police and found to have 'used needles' littered in his vehicle has been fined.

After his arrest Darren Smith was ‘fidgety, mumbling, red-eyed and emotional’ after testing positive for cocaine.

The 33-year-old of Evans Way, Chipping Norton, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

He pleaded guilty at that hearing to one count of driving a vehicle while unfit through drugs.

Prosecutor Clare Barclay said that Smith was first seen by police on Curbridge Road, Witney, at about 2.30pm on October 8 last year.

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He was seen to ‘accelerate harshly’ which prosecutors said appeared as though he were trying to avoid police.

Suspicious officers stopped his vehicle and they saw used needles inside, before carrying out a saliva test on the driver.

Smith tested positive for cocaine and he was arrested before carrying out further vision and balance tests with officers.

Prosecutors said that during those tests his demeanour was described as ‘emotional’ and he was fidgeting, mumbling and had red eyes.

In mitigation his defence barrister Scott Primmer said that his client had since sold the vehicle and he had already had his driving licence revoked.

He added: “He is aware that was a mistake and one he won’t repeat again.”

Sentencing, Judge Kamlesh Rana said she would give Smith credit for his early guilty plea.

Smith was fined £150 and must pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32. He was also disqualified from driving for 15 months.