Man in King’s Lynn court after refusing to do drugs test while practicing Ramadan

A driver who refused to comply with a drug-driving test said that he did so for religious reasons.

Halil Akyuz, 25, appeared in Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to refusing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Prosecutor Lesla Small said that on November 1, police officers were on duty at around 3.30pm when they stopped Akyuz while he was driving in Lynn.

Officers noted that they could smell cannabis, and searched the vehicle for the Class B drug.

Akyuz was asked if he had taken any of the drug, and he admitted to having done so.

A saliva test was carried out at the roadside which was positive for cannabis. Akyuz was therefore arrested and taken to Lynn’s Police Investigation Centre.

It was there where he refused to take an evidential drugs test, as he was practicing Ramadan at the time of the offence.

Police pointed out to Akyuz that the period of Ramadan was actually finished by that date.

In mitigation, Tiffany Meredith explained that Akyuz had missed a couple of days of Ramadan and was fasting at the time of the offence.

She explained that it is common practice for Muslims to add an extra day onto Ramadan if they miss a day.

“A blood test would breach that fasting,” said Ms Meredith.

For the offence, Akyuz, of Freeway in Chatteris, was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

He was fined £120, and ordered to pay court costs of £105 and a victim surcharge of £48.