A motorist who drove after using cocaine has been fined £1,300 and banned from the roads for two years.

Twenty-four-year-old Jak Hughes was nearly four times the limit for cocaine and almost five times the limit for its metabolite, benzoylecgonine.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood also ordered him to pay £125 prosecution costs, and to take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.

Prosecuting advocate Annie Bannister told the court that police saw Hughes driving a Volkswagen Golf on Marathon Road in Douglas, on March 18, at 6.10pm.

He gave way to the police at the junction with Prince’s Road, but officers said that, as they passed him, he made a strange face and hand gesture.

They spoke to him and described him as pale, and having glazed ‘pin-prick’ eyes.

A drug wipe test proved positive for cocaine, and Hughes was arrested.

A blood sample was taken and sent to the UK for analysis, which was returned on August 27.

The results showed a reading of 39 for cocaine, which has a legal limit of 10, and 240 for benzoylecgonine, which has a limit of 50.

The court heard that Hughes, of Linden Gardens, Douglas, has no previous convictions.

Duty advocate James Peterson said that his client had not been pulled over due to any issues with his standard of driving, and had no previous driving convictions.

Mr Peterson said that Hughes was a plumber, so the inevitable driving ban was going to make his job more difficult, though he said his employer was keeping him on.

The advocate also said that the defendant’s mother was ill and the ban would affect his ability to care for her.

Hughes agreed to pay the fine and costs at a rate of £100 per month.