A CUMBRIAN rugby league player has been banned from driving for three years after he was found with drugs in his system following a fail-to-stop road collision.

Glenn Alan James Riley, 26, who plays for Barrow Raiders, admitted two charges of driving with a controlled drug over the specified limit in his system when he appeared before magistrates in Workington on Friday.

Former Whitehaven RLFC player Riley also admitted possession of a Class C drug – namely diazepam – and failing to stop after a road accident.

Diane Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that police received a complaint on January 13 of a black Ford Fiesta driving erratically which had collided with another vehicle but failed to stop.

She said: “It hit another vehicle on its journey and made no effort to pull in and exchange details.

“Police found the vehicle, then spoke to Glenn Riley and it was clear immediately that he was under the influence of something.”

Blood samples were taken and Riley was found to have 315mcg of cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He was also found to have 800mcg of diazepam per litre of blood. The legal limit is 550mcg. A blister strip of diazepam was found in Riley’s car.

Mrs Jackson told the court that Riley said in interview he had been at a social event with his rugby team in Barrow, trained that morning and taken two diazepam tablets due to a shoulder injury.

Regarding the collision, which happened on Braystone Road, Calderbridge, Mrs Jackson said Riley claimed it was a narrow road and admitted he had no intention of reporting it as it was just a wing mirror that had been damaged.

The court heard Riley had told officers he believed he was fit to drive and didn’t think he was over the limits.

Ian Nancollis, defending, said Riley did not recognise the description of his driving.

Regarding the collision, Mr Nancollis said: “It was his belief that the other vehicle didn’t stop at the scene either.”

Mr Nancollis told the court Riley suggested he couldn’t identify the model of the car he had hit, although he conceded this did not excuse him from stopping or reporting the incident to police. “He didn’t dispute that he was involved in a collision with the wing mirror, he provided the blood samples,” Nancollis added. Mr Nancollis said Riley, who played for Whitehaven RLFC last season, had realised he was going to lose his driving licence but believed it was going to make his job extremely difficult.

Riley, of West Spur, Moor Row, was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from driving for three years.

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.