A 25-year-old drug driver has been fined £1,000 and banned from driving for two years.

Charlie Vernon was also ordered by magistrates to take an extended driving test at the end of his ban and pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that police stopped Vernon while he was driving a Toyota MR2 on New Castletown Road in Douglas at 7.20pm.

It was initially due to an issue with a rear light but when officers spoke to him they reported that he had glazed eyes and there was a smell of cannabis coming from the car.

A drug wipe test proved positive for the class B drug and Vernon, who lives at Pickard Close in Castletown, was subsequently arrested.

After being taken to police headquarters, a blood sample was taken which later produced a result of 2.1.

The legal limit for cannabis is two.

Defence advocate Jorden Rafferty-Gough asked for credit to be given for her client’s immediate guilty plea and lack of any previous convictions.

‘He has been fully co-operative throughout all dealings with the police,’ said the advocate.

‘The only feature that alerted the police was a vehicle defect.’

Ms Rafferty-Gough said that Vernon was only 0.1 over the limit and that he had not anticipated the level of the drug in his system.

Magistrates chair Michael Murley told Vernon: ‘Unfortunately, taking drugs and driving is a serious offence. It does impair your ability to drive.’

Vernon will pay the fine and costs at a rate of £50 per month.