A Northfleet taxi driver has been banned from driving after refusing a roadside drug test and blood test.
Rashpal Channa, 45, claimed he couldn't complete the drug test due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and couldn't provide a blood sample due to a needle phobia.
He was stopped by police in Medway on July 31, 2022, and suspected of driving under the influence of cannabis.
Despite denying the charges, Channa was found guilty at trial in August 2023.
At his sentencing hearing on October 24, he was fined £300 and banned from driving for 20 months.
This is not Channa's first brush with the law. In January 2022, he was convicted of criminal damage after smashing the window of another taxi driver's car during a dispute over fares.
The court heard that Channa had previously managed to get an interim driving ban lifted, despite facing a lengthy disqualification. His solicitor argued that he relied on his car for transportation due to health issues.
However, the magistrates imposed the driving ban and additional penalties, emphasising the seriousness of his actions and the need to protect public safety.
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gar Ali, who suffered life-changing injuries in the collision, expressed his belief that a prison sentence would have a detrimental impact on 20-year-old Max Street.
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