A local man has been banned from driving for a year and fined £200 – after pleading guilty to drug driving.

Alex Astengo, 26, of Vineyards, was sentenced at the Magistrates’ Court this afternoon.

He also received no separate penalty for possession of cannabis, which he also pleaded guilty to.

The court heard that just before 11pm on Saturday 14 October last year, Astengo was stopped by Response Team officers as he drove his motorcycle into Ocean Village from Bayside Road.

On speaking to him, officers noted that his speech was significantly slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and he smelt of cannabis. 

Due to the officer’s observations, he was asked to do a roadside drug test, which gave a positive reading for the Class B Controlled Drug.

A subsequent search resulted in a small piece of cannabis resin being found on Astengo. He was then arrested on suspicion of Driving a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Drugs and Possession of a Controlled Class B Drug.

A blood sample later confirmed the presence of THC in his body, which is the main active ingredient of cannabis.