A DRIVER who had drugs in his system careered into a roundabout and was left trapped in his car after speeding down a dual carriageway at around 90mph.

Robert Laney, 20, crashed his BMW onto the Baker’s Arms roundabout in the early hours after spending the evening with friends, who had taken drugs.

While he had not taken drugs that night, he had benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine – in his system having taken the class A drug on one of the days prior to the crash in Poole.

Emergency services took more than an hour to free him from the driver’s seat of the car due to the damage sustained in the single-vehicle collision on November 26, last year.

He was taken to Poole General Hospital after suffering several broken bones, including injuries to his ankle and elbow.

Analysis of blood taken while at hospital showed Laney had more than 200 micrograms per litre of blood of benzoylecgonine in his system – the legal limit to drive is 50 micrograms per litre of blood.

Laney, of The Spinney, Lytchett Matravers, appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 20, and admitted a single charge of driving while unfit to do so through drugs.

Prosecuting Jane Nott said the defendant had been at a friends house and around people who had smoked cannabis and taken Xanax, while he had taken cocaine on a previous day.

He was travelling at around 90mph along the A35 Upton Bypass and, due to the nature of his driving and drugs in his system, crashed onto the Baker’s Arms roundabout before coming to a stop, the court heard.

Laney, who represented himself in court, said he had lost his car due to the damage sustained and the past few months had been a struggle.

He told the court: “I am very sorry about my actions. The injuries I faced were quite nasty.”

He is still undergoing physio treatment for his elbow injury and is looking for work.

Magistrate Sue Morley told him it was an “exceptionally serious incident” before handing him a sentence of a 12-month driving disqualification and £120 fine. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

PC Matthew Batter, of Poole police, said: “Those driving under the influence of drugs pose a clear risk to not just other road users but to themselves as well, as demonstrated by this case.

“We are committed to taking action against all those who take the reckless decision to get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence.

“If you suspect someone is driving under the influence, dial 999 immediately. Anyone with further information can contact us at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101.”