Drugs in bloodstream from night before

Shawn Spendlow, 40, of Mount Pleasant Avenue, who admitted the offences at Boston Magistrates, was stopped in Ramsgate while driving on May 28 because he had forgotten to put on his seat belt.

He told the officer he had been smoking cannabis, and a drugs test showed he had 3.1mcg of cannabis and 141mcg of cocaine derivatives in his system, the legal limits being two and 50.

Mitigating, Beris Brickles said Spendlow had no previous convictions and had been out socially that morning when he had smoked cannabis and the cocaine had been left in his system from the night before.

He said there had been no bad driving and he had immediately admitted smoking cannabis.

Spendlow was banned from driving for a year and fined £400 and £125.