From drink and drug drivers to cases of criminal damage, the magistrates' courts deal with all minor of cases. 

Here are some of the cases to come before the lower courts over the past week.

  • A DRUG driver who got behind the wheel with cannabis in his system has been hit with a £350 fine. 

William Taylor, 22, was found to have driven a Vauxhall Corsa in Kings Parade, Holland-on-Sea, on June 1 while over the drug drive limit. 

He was found to have 4.1mcg of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood.

The legal limit is 2mcg per litre.

Taylor, of Frinton Road, Holland-on-Sea, admitted one count of drug driving at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on November 20.

He was banned from driving for a year, fined £350 and ordered to pay £105 in prosecution costs.

  • A DRINK driver has been banned from the roads after getting behind the wheel while over the legal limit. 

Charles Chachia, 66, drove a car in Military Road, Colchester, on July 19, with alcohol in his system. 

A blood test revealed he had 144mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

The legal limit is 80mg. 

Chachia, of Military Road, Colchester, was fined £258, ordered to pay £105 in prosecution costs and banned from driving for 36 months. 

  • A BIKE thief who failed to turn up at a court hearing has been ordered to pay compensation. 

Mark Sabaroche, 53, stole a bicycle worth £550 in Colchester on August 7.

He also admitted failing to turn up to a court hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on August 20. 

He denied a charge of theft, but was convicted at the same court on November 23.

Sabaroche, of Mare Street, Hackney, was ordered to pay £550 in compensation and £300 in prosecution costs. 

  • A MAN who damaged a charity’s front door has been ordered to pay out £1,000 in compensation. 

David Hales, 26, damaged a glass panel on the front door of the British Heart Foundation’s building in Clacton on November 24. 

He committed the offence in breach of a conditional discharge imposed at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in July for possession of cocaine. 

Appearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on November 25, he admitted criminal damage and the breach. 

Hales, of Boyce Road, Stanford-le-Hope, was ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to the charity.

  • A MAN has been handed a suspended jail sentence after being abusive to four people in Harwich.

Benjamin Beverley, 53, of Hordle Place, Dovercourt, admitted five charges of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard the charges related to an incident on February 16.

He was handed four concurrent two-week sentences which are suspended for 12 months.