A FORMER professional footballer who was born in Whitehaven has been sentenced for a drug driving offence.
Marc Cleeland, 46, who was caught when concerned motorists contacted the police after seeing his Audi A6 almost crashing on the A595 near Carlisle, admitted being over the limit for a cocaine breakdown product.
He had originally denied any wrongdoing but then changed his plea to guilty.
Prosecutor George Shelley said the offence came to light at around 7pm on August 1 last year after police received reports from concerned motorists who had seen the defendant’s car almost crashing into a grass verge.
“He almost crashed into oncoming cars,” said the prosecutor.
Police caught up with the defendant at the Asda supermarket in Kingstown, in north Carlisle. They carried out a drugs swipe test on Cleeland and it produced a positive result for cocaine.
“The defendant was taken to Carlisle’s police station and a blood sample was given,” said Mr Shelley. “It was returned with a result of 238mcg of benzoylecgonine [a cocaine breakdown product] per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50mcg.”
Mr Shelley said the prosecution wanted to claim £600 in costs, given that the case was prepared for trial.
This had included commissioning forensic reports.
READ MORE: Inquests into tragic A596 collision victims opened
Andrew Gurney, defending, said the defendant had a longstanding issue with alcohol, this having arisen after Cleeland retired from professional football. Since then, he has worked as an insurance salesman.
After he entered his guilty plea to the allegation, he had gone into an intensive 30-day rehabilitation course. “It was funded by the Professional Football Association with the Sporting Chance charity,” said the lawyer.
The defendant’s attempts to overcome his issue involved attending meetings six days per week. At the time of the offence, said Mr Gurney, Cleeland was going through a difficult time.
He had just reached the end of a 10-year relationship and was feeling depressed and started drinking even more excessively. “He then used cocaine, which is something he hadn’t done in the past,” said the lawyer.
Cleeland took 1g of the drug three days before he was caught, an earlier hearing was told. Mr Gurney said: “He’d taken cocaine three or four days before driving and hadn’t realised it would remain in his system or the effect on his driving.
“He understands that what he did was wrong and is truly remorseful. But he has taken steps to make things better.”
Magistrates noted the late stage at which the guilty plea was entered and the poor standard of driving before Cleeland’s arrest. They imposed a 12-month community order with a requirement to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. He must contribute £500 towards prosecution costs.
The defendant was also given a 23-month driving ban.
An earlier hearing was told that the defendant, of Kirkpatrick Court, Dumfries, had one relevant previous conviction – for drink driving in 2004, for which he received a one-year ban. Born in Whitehaven, Cleeland formerly played for Gretna FC and Queen of the South FC.
READ MORE: Frizington thug jailed for rock attack on good samaritan
Credit: Source link
