Man cleared of drug-drive charges

[Guest niall]

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0...55E1702,00.html

 

A DRIVER picked up under ground-breaking roadside drug testing in Melbourne last week is demanding an apology after police tests today confirmed his innocence.

 

John De Jong, of Ballarat, was said to have tested positive to amphetamines and cannabis when he was pulled over in his work van last week.

 

Mr De Jong maintained his innocence and said he had last smoked cannabis four weeks before he was tested.

 

He had his blood sample tested at an independent laboratory, with the results showing no traces of drugs.

 

Today, Victoria Police told Mr De Jong their own tests had confirmed he was innocent.

 

Victoria Police vowed to continue the program and are not offering Mr De Jong an apology for the stress his family has endured.

 

Mr De Jong today said he was shocked the police were refusing to say sorry.

 

"They put me in front of the media from the word go, and said I had tested positive to amphetamines and cannabis," he told AAP.

 

"Their tests and my tests show that not to be true and they are not even willing to apologise – I just think that is wrong."

 

Mr De Jong's wife Kay said the family had been aware of people in Ballarat talking about them, and said her husband deserved an apology.

 

Their 13-year-old daughter Belinda broke down as she told of the pressure on the family.

 

"We are very relieved that all this has come out now, that everyone should know now that my dad is an innocent person," Belinda said.

 

"It has been very hard on us all."

 

Mr De Jong said he was considering legal action against police.

 

AAP

[Pickle]

Yay!

 

It's all good news today.

[Chromius]

OMFG That is total bullshit! Is there anything worse then a Victorian Cop?

[bazza7]

It's abso-fucking-lutely typical of the police state tactics we've come to expect in Victoria under Steve"we'll look into that "Bracks.

Bullshit flawed roadside drug tests (scrapped in most of the civilised world due to their innaccuracy), hidden speed cameras behind every tree, fixed(also faulty) speed cameras on all major freeways, the highest state taxes etc etc.

We thought Jeff Kennett was a prick for selling off all the state schools and hospitals but I'd think seriously about re-electing ol' boofhead as the lesser of all evils..(a bit political of me, I know but it gives one the shits!)

Earlier today my son in law was pulled over for routine interrogation, rwc etc and detained for a good twenty minutes while a clown was stripping a car on the side of the road not 100 metres away who the cops couldn't give a shit about. It just don't figure.

From the keyboard of a very pissed off bazza7

Still, a few pipes and I'll feel much better....MERRY XMAS TO ALL :smoke

[bazza7]

just another word to see if I got the avatar thing right.

I used to have one.

Bazza7

[F420]

OMFG That is total bullshit! Is there anything worse then a Victorian Cop?

 

Hey buddy. Welcome to Ozstoners.

maybe a quick intro in the dr livingstone area so that others can say hi.

[Chev]

I've been biting my nails over these new tests. I'm royally fucked when they come out

And that story sucks, totally :thumbdown

[Luke Skywalker]

They can't tell how intoxicated you are, which is kinda supposed to be the point too.

 

They've screwed this guy as an example. Use drugs, even months ago, and you're going to be hounded, accused, have your family and your name dragged through the mud of media exposure and then not be apologised to for screwing your life forever.

 

Bloody wankers. Until they can produce a test which shows ACTUAL intoxication levels of the individual involved, it's nothing more than an attempt to scare and intimidate the avg person who uses drugs in our society... Which incidentally is a very, very substantial population base depending on the drug. The vast, vast majority of which are responsible users, with a tiny minority being used to justify the unconscionable in the name of "protecting us".

 

Grrrr.

[pipeman]

Bloody wankers. Until they can produce a test which shows ACTUAL intoxication levels of the individual involved, it's nothing more than an attempt to scare and intimidate the avg person who uses drugs in our society... Which incidentally is a very, very substantial population base depending on the drug. The vast, vast majority of which are responsible users, with a tiny minority being used to justify the unconscionable in the name of "protecting us".

 

Grrrr.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

In theory the test strips are designed to only return a positive result if the drugs are present over a certain level as defined under the Australian Standard for drug testing. However, certain combinations of legal drugs can also result in a positive test and testing companies openly admit they can return false results. The only accurate way to determine is through lab analysis. So the saliva tests aren't evidence in themselves, they are simply a red flag that indicates the possibility of drugs in the system and from that a lab test is ordered to determine for sure. No action is taken by the police until the lab test returns positive.

 

I'm sure the cops and the media have learnt their lesson and they won't assume guilt from a roadside test again. Perhaps the cops never did and it was all the news crew's fault.

[westaussie1]

I'm sure the cops and the media have learnt their lesson and they won't assume guilt from a roadside test again. Perhaps the cops never did and it was all the news crew's fault

 

 

Wow ! Whatever youre smoking I want some of it !