A drug driver has been banned, despite claiming he had been prescribed cannabis for medical reasons.  

Ben Dagless was asked to take a roadside test after being stopped in his BMW on the A140 at Newton St Faith, on the outskirts of Norwich.   

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard he later refused to provide a blood sample for an evidential reading at the police station.

The 32-year-old, of Links Avenue in Cromer, who has 49 previous offences including driving under the influence of drugs in 2020, was initially pulled over by police on July 10 last year on the suspicion that he was uninsured.

Ben Daglass was stopped on the A140 near Newton St FaithBen Daglass was stopped on the A140 near Newton St Faith (Image: Google)

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He had pleaded not guilty to failure to provide a specimen, but was found guilty at a trial in his absence.

He told magistrates: “I feel I shouldn’t be losing my licence when I’m prescribed it. If I was using it illegally it’d be a different story.”

He accused police of "abusing their powers". 

He was disqualified for three years and two months, fined £923 and ordered to pay costs of £1,019.