A 28-year-old father of seven has been fined £450 after he was found guilty after a trial of obstructing a drug search.

Paul Michael Dale Ford, of Willaston Crescent, was also ordered to pay £500 costs due to the case going to trial.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that police had approached two vehicles parked next to each other at Heather Crescent in Pulrose on February 18 last year at 12.10am.

Ford was the driver of one and was said to have appeared panicked. The passenger in his car made off and Ford began to reverse the car.

He was stopped and told police: ’You’re harassing me. I ain’t saying anything.’

Police believed they had interrupted a drug deal but no drugs were found.

Ford then locked his car door and told police: ’Go on, put the window through. I already have a complaint against you.’

A family member was also present and persuaded him to open the car door. He was subsequently arrested.

Advocate Paul Rodgers said: ’The obstruct is at the bottom end of the scale. There was no violence and no drugs found. He has voluntarily got out of the vehicle.’

A probation report said Ford has first become a father at 13 and had been seeing mental health services for a number of years.

The report said he had been unable to work due to a deterioration in his mental health.

Ford told probation that when police had stopped him he had felt anxious and intimidated so he refused to leave the car.

He said he felt unable to do so and became more distressed when more police arrived.

The report said Ford was currently claiming income support and incapacity benefit but had been assessed as unfit for work so would not be able to do community service.