King’s Lynn man Jed Lunnus threw ‘hissy fit’ and refused to complete drug test

A man threw a “hissy fit” after being caught driving a motorbike with cannabis in his system.

Jed Lunness, 30, of Hulton Road in Gaywood, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday charged with two offences.

He pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis having been in charge of a vehicle, as well as possession of a Class B drug.

Crown prosecutor Holly Postle said that police were conducting a routine patrol on October 23 when they came across Lunness driving a motorbike.

Its lights were not turned on despite it approaching darkness, and so they pulled him over – and immediately noted the smell of cannabis.

The defendant admitted he had a quantity of the drug with him at the time, and officers uncovered an amount just shy of 16g.

Lunness complied with a roadside drug swipe, and when asked to provide an evidential blood sample while in custody he was originally happy to do so.

However, Ms Postle said he then withdrew his consent in a “deliberate refusal”.

Mitigating, Andrew Cogan said that Lunness did not provide this sample because he has a phobia of needles.

“In fact, when the needle is produced and is about to be put in his arm, he turns around and has a bit of a hissy fit about it,” the solicitor said.

However, he said a lack of medical evidence from his doctor would make this difficult to prove.

“He knew he was going to be in trouble, as he accepts it was positive at the roadside,” Mr Cogan added.

Probation officer Naomi Grellen told the court that Lunness is currently complying well with a community order handed to him during a previous court appearance, and has completed the unpaid work required for that.

This will continue to run until January 2025.

For his latest offences, magistrates – led by Paul Readhead – fined Lunness £500 for failing to provide a blood sample and £333 for possession of the drugs.

He will also pay a £333 victim surcharge and £145 in legal costs, meaning he owes £1,311 in total.

Lunness was also disqualified from driving for 14 months, and an order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.