A 30-year-old man has been fined £1,000 for driving while under the influence of drugs.

John Paul Glover admitted taking cocaine the night before and was also banned from driving for two years.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told magistrates that police stopped Glover while he was driving a Vauxhall Zafira on the A2 Glen Mona Road on June 2 at 7.25pm.

A drug wipe test proved positive for drugs and Glover was subsequently arrested and taken to police headquarters.

Once there a blood sample was taken which later produced a result of 328 for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite of cocaine.

The legal limit for benzoylecgonine is 50.

The court heard that Glover, who lives at Ash Road in Douglas, had previous driving-related convictions but no drug-related ones.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode handed in letters of reference for his client and asked for credit to be given for his guilty plea and co-operation with police.

Mr Kermode said that Glover’s test result for cocaine itself had been below the legal limit, but above the limit for the main metabolite of cocaine.

‘Mr Glover had consumed what he believed was cocaine the previous evening,’ said the advocate.

Mr Kermode said that his client worked as a specialist in asbestos removal.

Magistrates also ordered Glover to pay £125 prosecution costs and take an extended test at the end of his ban.

He will pay the fine and costs at a rate of £10 per week.