A Department of Infrastructure employee who drove while under the influence of cannabis has been fined £900 and banned from driving for two years.

Stephen Lee Mealin admitted the offence after being stopped by police with a child in his car and a blood test later producing a result of 11.

The legal limit for cannabis is two.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered the 31-year-old, who lives at North Shore Road, to take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that police stopped Mealin while he was driving a Ford Focus on the Mountain Road on April 17 at 11am with a young child as a passenger.

He failed a drug wipe test and was subsequently arrested and taken to police headquarters.

Once there, blood was taken which later produced the reading of 11.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate Paul Glover asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea and his co-operation with the police.

Mr Glover said that Mealin worked for the DoI in road surfacing using heavy machinery so he may lose his job as a result of the inevitable driving ban.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that it was an aggravating factor that Mealin had a child in his car while he was driving under the influence of drugs.

The High Bailiff also ordered Mealin to pay £125 prosecution costs which he will pay, along with the fine, at a rate of £100 per month.

Since drug wipes tests have been available to the police earlier this year, dozens of people have appeared before the courts charged with driving under the influence of cannabis.