A motorist has been fined £1,000 and banned from the roads for two years for driving under the influence of cannabis.

Twenty-four-year-old Liam Gregory Caine had previously denied the offence, but on February 12, changed his plea to guilty.

Magistrates also ordered him to pay £300 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that the defendant was driving a Ford Fiesta on August 27.

He was stopped by police on West Quay in Ramsey, and when officers spoke to him, they described him as 'dazed' and 'docile', as if under the influence of something.

A drug wipe test proved positive for cannabis.

At police headquarters, a blood sample was taken, which was sent to the UK for analysis, and later produced a result of 2.5, above the legal limit of two.

Caine, who lives at Glen Maye Road in Patrick, was represented in court by advocate Jim Travers.

Mr Travers said that, as had previously been stated, his client had only pleaded not guilty while he was awaiting the result of a test on a B sample, which he was entitled to arrange for and pay for himself.

The advocate said that, if this had come back over the limit, which it now had, he had always intended to change his plea.

Mr Travers said that there had been no issue with his client’s driving, and he had only been stopped for a routine check.

He said that Caine had co-operated at the scene and a breathalyser test had been negative.

‘Unfortunately, he was just over the limit,’ said Mr Travers.

‘Had he waited perhaps a relatively short period of time before getting into his vehicle, he may not have been over the limit.’

Caine agreed to pay the fine and costs by the end of March.