Businessman was seven times over drug limit

And just over a month later grandfather Stephen Royds was stopped by police driving along the same road and was again found to be over the drug driving limit.

Both offences occurred while he was the subject of a suspended sentence for an affray and assault involving his partner and son and a judge has now sentenced him to a total of 12 months imprisonment.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that 51-year-old Royds was first stopped on April 17 this year driving a Ford Focus along Warrington Road, Wigan and a drugs test revealed 67 micrograms of cocaine in a litre of blood, when the limit is 10 micrograms.

He was bailed and on May 21 he was stopped driving along the same road and was again over the drug driving limit, though to a lesser extent.

Royds, of Malvern Crescent, Ince, pleaded guilty to two offences of driving while over the drug driving limit.

Toby Wilbraham, defending, said that Royds had been a keen fisherman since the age of five and went on to become a well known competitor. He went on to buy a run down fishing business, Springview Fisheries and built it into a successful enterprise.

Sadly his father, best friend and other friends died within a short period of time and he became so distraught and depressed that the father-of-two turned to cocaine and this drug habit grew into such a problem that he sold his business and pawned his wife’s jewellery.

“He has made attempts over the years to try to address the problem but has so far failed to do so,” said Mr Wilbraham, who added that Royds’ wife is standing by him.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones sentenced him six months for the two offences and activated six months of the suspended sentence to run consecutively. He was banned from driving for 18 months.