Driver got behind the wheel in the middle of the afternoon with cocaine in his system, court told

Mohammed Akhtar was caught in the middle of the afternoon in Burnley and had been tested because police thought he was under the influence of something.

He was incoherent, his eyes were red and his pupils were dilated. Akhtar told police he had smoked cannabis the night before.

The town's magistrates were told how the 29-year-old unemployed defendant had 800 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The specified limit is 50.

He also had 15 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood. The specified limit is 10. Akhtar had eight offences on his record.

Mr David Leach, defending, told the hearing Akhtar said cocaine was the only drug he had taken.

The solicitor continued: " At he time he got in the car, he didn't feel under the influence. He had taken quite a quantity of drugs over the preceding days.

" He should have known better.

"He didn't realise he was over the limit. He knows he's going to be disqualified and is currently applying for benefits."

Akhtar, of Scott Park Road, Burnley, admitted two counts of driving a vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit, on Belvedere Road in the town on Thursday, April 19th.

He was fined £100, with £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge and was banned for 12 months.