Jason James Duffy, of Glenroi Avenue, was sentenced after pleading guilty to driving with an illicit drug in his system.

It was the first time the 37-year-old has been charged with the crime and he told magistrate Terry Lucas that the driving disqualification could result in him losing his job.  

Mr Lucas responded by telling him he could appeal the decision.

“I wish I could help you but unfortunately that’s the law,” Mr Lucas said. 

According to police facts, Duffy was caught driving on Glenroi Avenue with cannabis in his system about 7pm on Friday, April 28.

Although he tested positive during the roadside drug test, a secondary test at Orange Police Station had an invalid reading.

The remainder of the sample was sent away for analysis and the presence of cannabis was confirmed leading to Duffy’s appearance in court.

Duffy said he’d consumed cannabis hours before police caught him and he drove because he needed to speak to his daughter but ran out of phone credit.

“I jumped in my car to see her and I didn’t think it would [still] be in my system,” he said.

A man who was caught driving without a licence was sentenced in his absence in Orange Local Court on Monday.

Brentin Crane, 23, of Lone Pine Avenue, was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for three months. 

According to police facts, Crane drove past police on the Mitchell Highway at Vittoria on June 23 at 3.50pm.

Police had been travelling in the opposite direction but turned around to stop him for a random breath test.

Police said he was previously convicted of driving without a licence on July 9, 2016.

The registration of the car he was driving had also expired on June 14, 2017, just over a week before he was stopped by police at Vittoria.