An IT engineer who drove while under the influence of cocaine has been fined £1,350 and banned from driving for two years.

Sanur Seetal was stopped by police at Johnny Watterson’s Lane in Douglas after he was seen driving erratically.

The 30-year-old was also ordered to take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.

Prosecuting advocate Rachael Braidwood told the court that police were on patrol in Douglas on January 29 at 1.05am when they saw Seetal driving a Volkswagen Passat.

He was said to be overbraking and performing exaggerated manoeuvres as he drove onto Johnny Watterson’s Lane.

He was subsequently stopped and tested using a drug wipe kit.

The test proved positive for cocaine and Seetal, who lives at Cronk Cullyn in Colby, was subsequently arrested.

A blood sample was taken at police headquarters which later produced a reading of 46 micrograms for cocaine. The legal limit is 10.

It also showed a reading of 630 micrograms for benzoylecgonine (BZE), the major metabolite of cocaine. The legal limit is 50.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers said that, although the readings were four times the limit and 12 times the limit respectively, a drug advisory expert panel in the UK had previously recommended legal limits of 80 and 500.

Mr Rodgers said that limits varied in other countries, and the limit for cocaine in Portugal was five, but in the Netherlands it was 50.

The advocate said that his client’s readings were the equivalent of a very low level of alcohol and pointed out that there had been no accident.

Mr Rodgers went on to say that Seetal was a professional man, here on a tier-two visa from South Africa.

‘He has been an upstanding member of the community,’ said the advocate. ‘He lives in Colby and may now have to reconsider where he lives with the inevitable ban.

‘He has stopped his cocaine use.’

Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks said that, when sentencing for drug-driving, it was more the standard of driving that was looked at, rather than the level of the drug.

Seetal was also ordered to pay £125 costs, which he will pay, along with the fine, within 14 days.