Benjamin Saurian admitted driving away from police and accidentally side-swiping a cop car but says he couldn’t see out of his vehicle because it was so full of marijuana smoke.

Benjamin, 19, who didn’t actually have a driving licence, had been smoking with some friends when he spotted the cops and – fearing he was “going to be jumped” accelerated away from the scene.

As he did so his car collided with a police cruiser, briefly trapping a senior constable and breaking his leg.

The following day he saw a news report about the injured cop and realised how much trouble he was in.

7 News Australia reports that Benjamin then tried to dump his car and destroy his number plates so he couldn’t be tracked down.

But after police called his parents’ home in Sunbury, outside Melbourne, Benjamin agreed to turn himself in.

He has been ordered to keep an 8pm curfew and agree to no longer drive or take drugs.

He was initially charged with 14 offences, including ramming an emergency vehicle, assaulting a police officer, conduct endangering life and unlicensed driving. 

Instead of facing the full wrath of the courts, however, Benjamin will have to attend a drugs education course and agree not to fraternise with anyone else who was in his car on that night.

As in the UK, marijuana is legal across Australia for medical use, but it is still illegal to sell or use it for recreational purposes.

A recent survey showed that nearly half of people across the UK favour complete legalisation.

• Cannabis

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