King’s Lynn man Nathan Elfleet crashed into bus stop after taking ketamine

A man crashed into a bus stop after taking ketamine – but his solicitor has promised he is on the road to recovery.

Nathan Elfleet, 35, of Reid Way in Lynn, appeared at the town’s magistrates’ court on Thursday charged with drug-driving.

He pleaded guilty to the offence, which he committed on November 11 last year.

Prosecuting, Nicola Lamb said that on that date, police had been called to a crash at Wootton Road in Lynn.

It transpired that Elfleet, while driving a Ford Transit van, had collided with a bus stop along the road. He claimed in court that he had swerved to avoid a cyclist.

Ms Lamb said that Elfleet caused damage to both his own vehicle and the bus stop, and that upon arriving at the scene, officers asked him to perform a drug swipe.

It transpired that he had 27mcg of ketamine per litre of blood in his system, with the legal limit for the Class B drug being 20mcg.

Magistrates therefore opted to ban him from driving for a period of 12 months.

He was also fined £550, and was ordered to pay £105 in legal costs and a £220 victim surcharge.

In mitigation, George Sorrell said: “He has, for the last two years, had a councillor for his drug problem, because it is fair to say, and he accepts, that drugs have been an issue in his life since he was a teenager.”

The solicitor told magistrates that Elfleet is married and looks after his partner’s three children, taking his role “very seriously”.

“He values the love and affection of his wife, and is concerned that his children shouldn’t be brought brought up in an atmosphere of drugs,” he added.

“The defendant realises that if his employer is prepared to put himself out to any extent to keep him, that he must work that much harder to repay the generosity of this person – so that is what he is going to do.

“He is now on the road to recovery at last.”

Mr Sorrell concluded: “He has taken the trouble to come to court wearing a freshly pressed shirt.”