DRUG CASE A FIRST

TECHNOLOGY able to determine the influence of marijuana on a driver has
been used for the first time in a Victorian court.

Cameron Hilliard Brown was found guilty this week by a County Court jury of
one count of culpable driving relating to an accident at Sunset Strip on
January 14, 1996.

The jury found him not guilty of one count of negligently causing serious
injury.

The case is believed to be the first successful prosecution in a Victorian
court of a culpable driving case using evidence of the effect of marijuana
on the driver. An analysis of the amount of marijuana in Brown's blood at
the time of the accident using equipment in South Australia was presented
as evidence.

Professor Roger King, of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, told
the jury the equipment found enough marijuana in Brown's bloodstream to
affect his driving.

Sen-Constable Patrick Cleary, of the accident investigation squad, said
yesterday the use of the evidence was a warning to cannabis users that
there was technology now available to detect the drug.

The State Government announced last month drivers suspected of taking drugs
would be forced to give blood for testing.

In a pre-sentence hearing yesterday, defence counsel John Desmond submitted
there was a serious doubt over Prof. King's evidence.

Mr Desmond said Prof. King had told the court Brown had smoked marijuana
within the six hours before the accident, which was not backed up by other
evidence.

Judge Leo Hart bailed Brown to appear for sentencing at a date to be fixed.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson