A BANNED driver who had drugs in his system said he needed to take his unwell partner to hospital. 

A court was told Jordan Riddick had got behind the wheel to drive his partner to Furness General Hospital after she became "dizzy" on a trip back from Preston.

When police stopped him they also found he had cannabis in his system.

Riddick, 24, admitted drug driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance when he appeared in the dock at South Cumbria Magistrates' Court.   

Prosecutor Lee Dacre told the court a Range Rover Sport was seen being driven erratically in Ulverston on June 9.

Police later caught up with the vehicle on Askam Road near Dalton. Riddick told officers he did not have a driving licence.

A roadside drug test found he had cannabis in his system. 

The court was told Riddick, of Longway in Barrow, had 16 previous offences on his record. 

In mitigation, Michael Graham told the court Riddick had needed to take over from his partner in driving the car.

"They had been for an evening out to Preston for date day and it was on the way back she felt rather unwell and dizzy. That's why he took over the driving," he said.

"She may have been dizzy. He stated his driving wasn't erratic."

Mr Graham said having taken over the driving, Riddick was planning to take his partner to Furness General Hospital around "five to ten minutes from where he had taken over from her".

"Perhaps in retrospect he would've parked the vehicle and taken a taxi. He didn't," Mr Graham said.

He said Riddick had been "co-operative" with police.

"At no point has he prevaricated or started to bluster his way through or raised issue with the whole process," he said.

"Although he had taken cannabis he was surprised it came back positive from him taking it the previous day or whatever."

Mr Graham said was someone "who does genuinely want to change his ways and does need help."

Riddick was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, but magistrates chose to suspend it for two years.

He was fined £120 for drug driving and banned from getting behind the wheel for two years.