A man caught with cannabis used the drug to combat chronic back pain, a court heard this week.

Gary Ramsden, of All Saints’ Park, Lonan, admitted two charges of possessing cannabis when he appeared before Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes on Tuesday.

He was caught with about £30-worth of the drug on him after the police were called, on August 20, after the defendant started singing on his way home. He had been drinking in various pubs while watching football.

Defence advocate David Reynolds said Ramsden, 41, bought the drug at a local pub and it was all for his own use.

’He has been in several car accidents over the years, the last of them 12 months ago,’ said Mr Reynolds. As a result, he suffered severe back pain.

Although Ramsden was prescribed painkillers, they could sometimes interfere with his ability to work as an IT engineer. Consequently, he preferred not to use them all the time, but instead turned to cannabis for pain relief.

’He takes it only to assist him with pain relief and to help him function on a working day,’ said Mr Reynolds.

Fining Ramsden a total of £300 and ordering him to pay court costs of £125, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes acknowledged the purpose of his cannabis use was medicinal.

However, she warned him over the possible risks of driving a car while using cannabis, for any reason.

’You need to be careful you are not committing an offence of driving whilst unfit,’ she said.