A STONED driver caught doing almost 50mph in a 30mph zone claimed his fear of the car behind him had forced him to break the speed limit.

Daniel Howard, 21, from Winding Way, Salisbury, was banned for a year after pleading guilty to speeding and driving under the influence of drugs.

Prosecuting at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Friday, James Burnham said a police officer was doing a routine speed check on Bath Road, Devizes, on January 16 when he clocked Howard doing 49mph.

When pulled over, Howard told the officer that he was afraid of a car behind him, which he claimed had been driving erratically, beeping the horn repeatedly and attempting “mock overtakes”.

Howard smelled of cannabis, was slurring his words, and unsteady on his feet, the court heard. The officer also reported his eyes were bloodshot and his pupils enlarged.

Tests showed he had 3.9mcgs of cannabis in his system, almost double the legal limit.

Magistrate Simon Browning banned Howard from driving for 12 months, fined him £320, and ordered him to pay £117 court costs.