Jade Goody’s widower Jack Tweed banned for drug driving in Essex
Tweed admits cannabis use while driving in Chelmsford
Jack Tweed, the widower of Big Brother star Jade Goody, has been banned from driving after admitting drug driving in Essex.
Tweed, aged 39, pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court to driving a vehicle with a controlled drug level above the legal limit.
The incident occurred on 6th December last year when Tweed was stopped by police on Three Mile Hill near Chelmsford while driving his Volkswagen Golf.
Prosecutor Rebecca Debenham stated that officers suspected cannabis might be present in the vehicle and that Tweed may have been driving under its influence.
Tweed failed a roadside drug test and at the police station, a blood sample showed 5.6 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active component of cannabis, in his system, above the two-microgram limit.
The court fined Tweed £692, imposed a £277 surcharge, and ordered him to pay £85 costs.
Tweed, who was formerly married to Jade Goody before she died of cervical cancer, explained his actions in court, citing personal trauma, depression, and anxiety as reasons for his cannabis use to aid sleep.
"I’m not making excuses, I’ve been through some trauma in my life, other stuff that led to me having depression and anxiety,” Tweed said.
He acknowledged the mistake of driving in the morning after using cannabis the night before.
Tweed, an electrician with a fluctuating income, shared that he’s seeking alternatives for managing sleep without drugs.
Having seven prior convictions for 14 offences, including a drink driving conviction in 2007, Tweed received a 12-month driving disqualification from Magistrate Andrew McGregor.
McGregor said, "You cannot drive any motor vehicle on any roads used by the public from this until the end of your disqualification."
Tweed must apply to the DVLA for a new photocard licence as his current one is invalid.