A 23-year-old has been put on probation after driving under the influence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of the class A drug.

Peric Fynn Warrilow has also been banned from driving for two years with an order to take an extended test at the end of the ban.

He admitted driving under the influence of the two drugs, as well as having no vehicle tax.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that the defendant was driving a Nissan Almera on February 24, at around 2am, at Lord Street in Douglas.

His car tax expired in November 2023 and he was initially stopped for that.

However, officers described Warrilow as slurring his words and appearing confused.

A drug wipe test proved positive for cocaine and he was subsequently arrested.

A sample of blood was taken at police headquarters and sent to the UK for analysis, which later produced a reading of 39 for cocaine, which has a legal limit of 10, and 240 for benzoylecgonine, which has a limit of 50.

During a police interview, Warrilow, who lives at Mylchreest Drive in Ballasalla, said that he had given a friend a lift, who had smoked a joint, and that he thought cocaine might have been in it, so he claimed he may have ingested it from that.

He said he was not a drug user himself and had not intentionally consumed any drugs.

Warrilow told police that he had ‘had a stupid night’ due to arguing with his partner.

Defence advocate Emily Brennan asked for credit to be given for her client’s guilty pleas and said that he had taken full responsibility for his actions.

She said that Warrilow said that he had driven the next day and not immediately after taking the drug, and hadn’t appreciated it would still be in his system.

Ms Brennan said that there had been no report of poor driving and that her client had only initially been pulled over for the tax offence.

The advocate asked the court to follow the recommendation of a probation report, for a period of supervision, saying that he would benefit from support.

The report assessed Warrilow as a low risk of reoffending.

Magistrates also ordered the defendant to pay £125 prosecution costs, which he will pay at a rate of £50 per week.