A MAN who got behind the wheel whilst being almost six times the legal drug limit has been banned from the road.

Richard Johnson, of Parkgate Way, Handforth, Wilmslow, appeared at Stockport Magistrates’ Court on August 16 charged with drug-driving.

The 35-year-old was driving a BMW on the A555 Handforth Bypass in Cheadle on Sunday, May 7, last year, when he was stopped by the police.

A subsequent blood test revealed that the defendant had not less than 290µg/L of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine, in his system. The legal limit is 50µg/L.

A further blood test recorded Johnson had not less than 9.8µg/L of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, an ingredient of cannabis, in his blood.

The limit for this breakdown product is 2µg/L.

At this latest court hearing, Johnson changed his plea to guilty and was disqualified from driving for 17 months.

Disqualification is obligatory for drug-driving offences, the court heard.

The defendant was also fined £270 and ordered to pay £200 costs and £108 victim surcharge.

Magistrates gave him a 10 per cent discount on the fine for a late guilty plea.

Johnson was granted permission to pay the £578 court penalty in £25 monthly instalments starting on September 13.