A 20-YEAR-OLD man who did a U-turn in his car on a road leading to a motorcyclist being "seriously" injured has been given a 16-month ban. 

Magistrates were told that when Rhys Gyll, of Greenoaks, Lancing, performed the U-turn on the A259 Marine Gate in Brighton in December last year he had 123 microgrammes of Benzoylecgonine in his blood, the legal limit being 50.

The Benzoylecgonine test was introduced by the Government as a new offence in regard to driving with a specific controlled drug in the body above that drug’s accepted limit.

The presence of the drug indicates a person has taken cocaine, the aim being to reduce expense, effort and time wasted from prosecutions that fail because of difficulties proving a particular drug impaired a driver.

Gyll pleaded guilty to the offence and to a further offence of driving without due care and attention.

Brighton magistrates heard a victim impact statement, which was read to the court by Lauren Kenny, prosecuting. It said the motorcyclist was in constant "agony".

Gyll was fined a total of £333 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and costs of £85.

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