A Port Erin gardener has been fined £1,250 and given a two year driving ban.

Tom Alistair Scott Angus, who lives at Ballafesson, admitted driving under the influence of cannabis as well as possessing the class B drug.

The 31-year-old had previously denied the driving offence but changed his plea to guilty.

Acting Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered Angus to take an extended driving test at the end of his ban and pay £500 prosecution costs, due to the case reaching the pre-trial review stage.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that police were on patrol in Kirk Michael on June 1.

They stopped Angus, while he was driving a Skoda Roomster, initially for a routine documents check.

However, officers reported that the defendant’s pupils were constricted so a drug wipe test was performed, which proved positive for cannabis.

Angus told the officers that there was a small amount of the drug in a grinder in the car. A search found 0.5 grams, valued by police at £10.

The defendant was taken to police headquarters where a blood sample was taken and sent for analysis.

This later produced a reading of 2.5, above the legal limit of two for cannabis.

Defence advocate Victoria Kinrade said that the reading had been very low and asked the court to deal with the offences by way of a financial penalty.

Of the cannabis found, she said that it was a small amount for personal use.

Ms Kinrade said that Angus was a self-employed gardener and that losing his licence would have a significant impact on his job.

The Acting Deputy High Bailiff fined the defendant £1,000 for the driving offence and £250 for the possession.

He will pay all amounts at a rate of £150 per month.