
A Penrith man will be sentenced by a judge after he flouted a suspended prison sentence by being in charge of a vehicle while having cocaine in his bloodstream.
Ashley Bell, 26, of Mardale Close, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court earlier today.
Bell admitted one charge of being in charge of a Mercedes-Benz when the proportion of a specified controlled drug — class A cocaine — was above the legal limit.
Court papers show he committed the offence at Gillan Way in Penrith on June 9 last year.
By doing so, he breached a suspended prison sentence which he received at Carlisle Crown Court in March 2020.
This was imposed after Bell admitted being concerned in the supply of a class B controlled drug.
In a brief address to magistrates, prosecutor Peter Kelly said it would be for a judge to determine whether or not it would be unjust to activate all or part of a prison sentence which had been suspended for a period of two years.
Magistrates committed Bell’s case to the crown court, where he is due to appear for sentence on March 31. A progress report will be provided by the probation service on that date.
In the meantime, Bell was granted unconditional bail.