A MOTORIST who narrowly avoided crashing into a police car has been banned for three years for being under the influence of cannabis.

When a car reversed out into the path of a police car travelling in Pier Road, Tywyn, in February this year, there wasn’t a collision, but as the officers spoke to the driver, there was a strong smell of cannabis in the car.

Tests revealed that Samuel Albert Rainbow, 36, of Windy Ridge, Alvechurch, Birmingham had 4.3 micrograms of cannabis in 100 millilitres of blood, the limit being two micrograms.

Rhian Jones, prosecuting at Dolgellau magistrates court, said that the defendant was a self employed plumber and working on a project in the Tywyn area and staying at a caravan on the Bryn y Mor site.

She said that the police stopped the vehicle after it had reversed out in front of them.

Rainbow had been convicted of driving with excess alcohol in 2008 and was liable for a minimum driving ban of three years, the court heard.

Hywel Davies, defending, said that his client apologised for his actions and was not offering any excuses for smoking the cannabis after having been upset earlier in the day.

Mr Davies said that he had warned his client over an extended driving ban: “ He is in the process of employing a trainee plumber who could also drive him around. His income will be hit hard as a result,” he said.

Rainbow was fined £400 and banned from driving for three years after pleading guilty to driving when over the prescribed controlled drug limit, namely cannabis, on 3 February.

He was ordered to pay £40 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs. The magistrates accepted an offer to pay at the rate of £100 per month.