A MAN who failed to report a car accident which ended up blocking the entrance to a block of flats in Salisbury was caught drug driving weeks later, a court heard.

Dillon Gray, of Greencroft Street, Salisbury, admitted two counts of driving a vehicle with a controlled drug above the specified limit and failing to report an accident. He appeared at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 13.

On October 4 last year at 6am police received reports of a vehicle crashing into the Friary in Salisbury. The vehicle was found “wedged” on the wrong side of the road near a block of flats. The entrance to the flats was blocked.

The court heard the defendant contacted the police 33 hours after it happened.

The drug driving offences took place on October 20 at 6.20 in the evening in St Ann Street. The court heard, a dark coloured Ford Focus came to the attention of the police and was subsequently stopped and the driver was spoken to. The officer smelt cannabis and carried out a drugs swipe which gave a positive reading. He was arrested and his blood was also tested.

Paul Jones, defending Gray regarding the incident on October 4 said Gray had been leaving the premises and was trying to manoeuvre the narrow driveway and clipped a corner before getting “jammed”.

He said Gray admitted not reporting the incident within 24 hours.

Mr Jones said Gray had pleaded guilty and accepted using drugs at the time and suffered from depression and would self medicate, adding: “It is some five months down the line since the matters occurred and nothing further has happened.”

For the two offences of drug driving he was fined £120 for each and ordered to pay a £32 victim surcharge – a total of £272. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months. No separate penalty was given for failing to report an accident.