A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to community service for driving while under the influence of cocaine and cannabis.

Joshua Scott Quirk was also banned from driving for 30 months with an order to take an extended test at the end of his ban.

We previously reported that police were on patrol in Kirk Michael at 5.30pm on November 11, when they saw Quirk driving a Ford Transit van, heading towards Ballacraine.

They stopped him in Cronk y Voddy and he was described as having dilated pupils and appearing nervous and agitated.

Quirk told police he had just ‘smoked a joint’.

A drug wipe test at the scene proved positive for cannabis and he was subsequently arrested and taken to police headquarters.

A blood sample was taken which later produced results of 5.9 for cannabis. The legal limit is two.

It also produces a reading of 94 for cocaine, which has a legal limit of 10, and 1,479 for benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine), which has a legal limit of 50.

In court, Quirk, who lives at Slieau Curn Park, Kirk Michael, pleaded guilty to three counts of driving while under the influence of drugs, as the cocaine and benzoylecgonine are charged separately, despite being linked.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers asked the court to follow the recommendation of a probation report, for community service.

‘Mr Quirk made a very big mistake,’ said the advocate.

‘When a young man, he was sentenced to a long period of custody. He says he has worked hard since then and hasn’t been in trouble since then, apart from this.’

Mr Rodgers said that the latest offence had occurred in emotional circumstances which were detailed in the probation report, but that he would not go into, in open court.

‘He is doing everything he can to live a stable life,’ added the advocate.

Mr Rodgers said that there had been no evidence of poor driving or any accident.

In 2017, Quirk was jailed for six years, for possessing drugs with intent to supply and importing drugs.

A probation report assessed Quirk as a low risk of harm to others.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said that letters from Quirk’s work colleagues spoke very highly of him and gave him credit for his guilty pleas and admissions to police.

Quirk was ordered to do 160 hours unpaid work in the next 12 months.

He must also pay £125 prosecution costs by March 24.