A teenager who crashed his car after taking ecstasy has been fined £1,200 and banned from driving for one year.

Cameron John Ashcroft, of Whitebridge Road, Onchan, admitted an offence of driving while unfit and was also ordered to retake his test at the end of the ban.

The 17-year-old apprentice painter had only passed his test three months before the incident.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Ashcroft was driving a Ford Fiesta on the A18 Mountain Road on June 10 at 3.35am when he hit with a grass bank after losing control of the vehicle.

When police arrived and spoke to him, they reported that his pupils were dilated and he was ’constantly smacking his lips’.

When asked if he was under the influence of anything Ashcroft replied: ’I did take something, MDMA [Methylâ??enedioxyâ??methamphetamine, or ecstasy].’

He was arrested and taken to police headquarters where a blood sample was taken.

The results showed a reading of not less than 75 micrograms per litre of blood.

There is no legal limit in the island but the legal limit in the United Kingdom, which is used for guidance, is 10 micrograms.

When interviewed Ashcroft answered ’no comment’ to all questions.

The teenager was charged on December 14 due to police having to wait for toxicology results from the UK.

Defence advocate Peter Taylor handed in a letter to the court from Ashcroft which detailed why he had taken ecstasy but which was not read out in court.

The advocate asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea and the remorse expressed in his letter.

Mr Taylor said that Ashcroft had passed all sobriety tests at police headquarters and had had no problem understanding police or communicating with them. He has accepted he was impaired,’ said the advocate.

’The drugs were taken earlier in the evening. He drove when he thought he was fit. The weather was bad that evening.’

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told the teenager: ’You passed your test just three months previously. You’re going to have to do it all again.

Ashcroft must also pay £125 prosecution costs which he will pay, along with the fine, at a rate of £120 per month.