Drug driver, 81, told police someone slipped cocaine into his birthday lemonade
Arthur Ball was more than three times the legal limit when he was tested driving home from his own birthday party on June 2.
Police had pulled Ball over just after midnight in Warrington, and his car – a Motability Toyota Yaris – had a police marker on it as potentially being used by a drug dealer.
Ball said he had not been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, but while his roadside breath test result was a 0, the result of his blood test led to him being arrested.
The pensioner claimed a guest at his birthday must have slipped a wrap of cocaine into his lemonade during the party.
His results showed Ball had 162micrograms of benzoylecgonine (BZE) per litre of blood in his system. BZE is a breakdown product of cocaine and the legal limit is 50mg.
Ball appeared at Warrington magistrates court where he pleaded guilty to drug driving.
He was fined £120, banned from driving for a year, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.
His lawyer Mark Lever said in mitigation: 'He had been out for his birthday, a late birthday celebration. He had not been drinking. He believed that what he had drunk had been contaminated by cocaine. He does not use cocaine. More Trending
'He cannot bring evidence of that so he accepts that he has committed the offence.
'He was pulled up by the police. Strangely, police have a marker on his car for a drug dealer. He is not a drug dealer. How it got there goodness knows.
'His driving was not impaired. He has not driven in an erratic manner. He would like to drive again but he accepts he is going to find it difficult over the next 12 months.'
Figures released in 2023 suggested drug driving had become more common than drink driving, with an average of 80 drug drivers caught every day.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: 'I was a top UK cocaine smuggler and I think Top Boy is completely ridiculous'
MORE: Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi charged with three counts of attempted murder
MORE: Funeral home director Robert Bush in court after human remains found at his premises
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Child, 2, dies after family struck by car 'smashing through barrier'
A two-year-old child has been killed after a young driver crashed into a family at a car park last night. Local news sources reported that the fledgling driver had crashed into a man, woman and a young child at Gorrell Tank car park in Whitstable, Kent. The two-year-old child was sadly confirmed dead at the scene at around 8.15pm on Saturday. A witness said the incident was 'very serious and very sad'. They told Kent Online that they had been advised by a man not to take their children to where they had parked. She added:'When my husband came back with the car, he said lots of people were crying.' A man, in his 20s, was arrested at the scene for causing death by dangerous driving and remains in custody. A Kent Police spokesman appealed for witnesses and people with dash-cam footage to come forward. He said: 'Kent Police was called to the junction of Harbour Street and Cromwell Road, at 8.24pm on Saturday 16 August 2025 following a report of an incident involving a car and multiple pedestrians. 'A man suffered serious injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. A two-year-old child was sadly confirmed deceased at the scene. His next of kin has been informed.' Three fire engines attended the scene of the incident, which is thought to have involved two cars. A spokesperson for South East Coast Ambulance Service said in a statement: 'We sent three ambulances and two Critical Care Paramedics to the scene. More Trending 'Our crews treated three patients at the scene – an adult male, an adult female and a young child.' 'The child was in a very serious condition and the male had received serious injuries.' Canterbury City Council, which operates the car park, said its 'thoughts are with everyone affected' by the incident. It said that the car park had since reopened and officers are on site to 'offer help and support'. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: First picture of girl, 13, who died after teen released on bail for 'murder and rape' MORE: 'One of a kind' mother dies after being found unconscious in alleyway by school MORE: 'Brazen' drug dealers selling cocaine during Mass at the UK's biggest Catholic cathedral
Wales Online
20 hours ago
- Wales Online
UK's 'oldest drug driver' claims cocaine was 'put in his drink' at 81st party
UK's 'oldest drug driver' claims cocaine was 'put in his drink' at 81st party Arthur Ball, 81, is one of the oldest people to be convicted of drug driving (Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd) An 81-year-old man has been convicted of drug driving, becoming one of Britain's oldest. Arthur Ball, uses two walking sticks, has hearing aids and has been in the care of a carer for 15 years, was stopped by police as he drove home after attending his birthday party. He was tested and was found to be three times over the limit for cocaine. When asked, the pensioner claimed he had not been drinking alcohol and said that he had never taken drugs. He said a guest at the party must have slipped cocaine into his lemonade, a court heard. Magistrates were told that unusually, his taxpayer-funded mobility car, a Toyota Yaris, had a police marker on it amid claims it was being used by a drug dealer. At Warrington magistrates court, Ball pleaded guilty to drug driving and was fined £120 and banned from the roads for 12 months. It is thought his carer will now drive the car. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Article continues below The court heard Ball was pulled over just after midnight on Marsh Street, Warrington, at 12.17am on June 2 - six days after his birthday. Nigel Jones, prosecuting, said: "On the day in question police had observed the vehicle and subsequently stopped it. The defendant was asked to provide a roadside breath test and a sample for a drug wipe. "The roadside breath test was zero, but the result for the drug test resulted in him being arrested. The blood test figures are identified in the charge." The blood test, the court heard, showed Ball had 162 micrograms of benzoylecgonine (BZE) per litre of blood in his system. BZE is a breakdown product of cocaine and the legal limit is 50 mg. His lawyer, Mark Lever said in mitigation: "He had been out for his birthday, a late birthday celebration. He had not been drinking. He believed that what he had drunk had been contaminated by cocaine, the MEN reported. "He does not use cocaine. He cannot bring evidence of that so he accepts that he has committed the offence. "He was pulled up by the police. Strangely, police have a marker on his car for a drug dealer. He is not a drug dealer. How it got there goodness knows. His driving was not impaired. He has not driven in an erratic manner. He would like to drive again, but he accepts he is going to find it difficult over the next 12 months.'' Ball, of Rudloe Court, Poulton-with-Fearnhead, Warrington, was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £48. Sentencing Ball, JP Andrew Pope said: "Anybody found guilty or who pleads guilty to driving when they have got drugs in their system all get disqualified. It's the law.'' Article continues below Figures show that in 2023, 124 people died in crashes involving a drug-impaired driver. The DVLA data suggests drivers in their late twenties are the worst offenders, with 25 being the most common age of disqualification for drug-driving. But in one year alone, 78 drivers over 60 years old were also prosecuted for failing drugs tests, with the eldest driver banned being a 74-year-old woman.
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Shannon Matthews detective reveals moment ‘bewildered' girl was found
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An investigator searching for Shannon Matthews has described the moment the nine-year-old girl was found tied-up and hidden by her own mum as part of a fake abduction plot. Missing Shannon had seemingly vanished on her walk home from swimming in February 2008, with her mum Karen Matthews crying on camera appealing for the safe return of her daughter. After 24 days of searching, investigators found her bound and heavily drugged in a drawer in a grotty council flat just a few miles from where she had supposedly disappeared from. Mick Donovan had kidnapped the schoolgirl with Karen in an attempt to claim a £50,000 reward for her return, even trying to extort money from the Find Madeleine McCann fund. Detective Constable Nick Townsend was part of the team of detectives who spent sleepless nights trying to locate missing Shannon. But recalling the moment he saw her for the first time, he revealed the team feared she was close to being seriously harmed by Donovan. He said: 'When the lady who lived in the flat below heard the tiny footsteps of a toddler coming from Donovan's flat, I said we need to get in here. 'We made a determined effort to rouse him to get him to come to the door, but he wouldn't answer. 'My fear was then that he knew that we were here. Could he be doing any harm to whoever was in there or to himself, knowing the game was up?' With the help of the Operational Support Unit, officers were able to force their way into the council flat, finding the 'bewildered' schoolgirl beneath Donovan's bed. Speaking on documentary The Hunt for Shannon Matthews, Nick added: 'You could hear a lot of banging and crashing, smashing of woodwork. 'I went up the staircase and as I got to the top, my colleague appeared from inside the flat carrying Shannon in his arms saying, 'I found her, I found her, under the bed'.' Karen was jailed for eight years, while Shannon was given a new identity and removed from her family's care. Dovonan was also jailed for eight years and was disowned by his family following the plot, and died in prison in April 2024 reportedly not having a single visitor in the last few months of his life. He had insisted he was 'only looking after' the terrified schoolgirl that people 'would understand' why he kidnapped her if he was allowed to share his side of the story. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Babysitter who sent disabled children to paedophile boyfriend sobs at 100-year sentence MORE: Teen with 'no moral compass' rapped about car crash that killed unborn baby MORE: Russia-linked DHL warehouse fire in Birmingham left Amazon container '100% destroyed'
