A COURIER driver is back on the dole again because he went driving a day after smoking cannabis.

David Lengyel, 31, didn’t realise that the drug remains in the body much longer than alcohol, York Magistrates Court heard.

He was among many unemployed people who found a new job delivering parcels during the pandemic.

But he failed a drug driving test and has been banned from the roads. Duty solicitor Ciara Smith said that would cost him his new job and put him back living on social security.

Lengyel, of Princess Drive, off Boroughbridge Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to drug driving.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 12 months.

They also ordered him to pay a total of £239 consisting of a £120 fine, a £34 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Jane Chadwick, prosecuting, said police suspected something was wrong when they saw Lengyel driving a car on the A1237 in the early hours of August 3.

They stopped him at 3.45am on Askham Lane.

He smelt of cannabis and failed a roadside test.

A blood test taken at Fulford Road Police Station revealed he had illegal levels in his blood of a chemical which is produced when cannabis is absorbed by the body.

Ms Smith said: “He smoked cannabis the day before. “He didn’t believe it would still be in his system.

“He now knows if you are going to smoke cannabis it is going to remain in your body, not like alcohol that leaves your system quickly.

“It (cannabis) is completely different.”

Lengyel had been unemployed before he got a job six months ago with a national courier company as a delivery driver.

“He will effectively lose his job,” she said.

Lengyel did not attend the court on the day he should have done and was arrested on a warrant.

He appeared before the court in custody the next day.

Ms Smith said that Lengyel is Hungarian and had received the requisition ordering him to attend court.

“He said he didn’t read it. He apologises for not attending court.,” she said.

Requisitions replaced summons in criminal cases several years ago.