A MAN who was almost 23 times the drug drive limit when stopped by police in February this year grinned after magistrates sentenced him to a 16-month driving ban.

Ryan Velkoop, of Cynthia Road in Poole, was pulled over by an officer who noticed that his Ford Focus had a "defective" light shortly before 4am.

When the 22-year-old opened the car door, the officer noticed a sweet smell believed to be connected to drug use.

A roadside drug wipe was used that tested positive for substances, and the defendant was arrested.

Subsequent analysis revealed he had 37 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood. The legal limit is 10.

Velkoop also had 1,137mg of benzoylecgonine – a main metabolite of cocaine – per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50.

The defendant admitted both charges on his first appearance before magistrates on Friday, April 22.

He also pleaded guilty to a third offence of using a motor vehicle in a condition likely to cause danger of injury.

Prosecuting, Alison Saunders said the Ford had a defective exhaust system, a distorted nearside rear wheel hub, tyres with tread worn below the legal limit and missing glass in the offside door mirror.

The failures in the exhaust were also causing fumes to leak into the car, it was said.

Sean Waters, mitigating, said the new limits for drug driving cannot be considered similar to the drink-drive limits.

"We have two offences and guilty pleas for both of them but effectively it is one drug," he said.

"The reason this vehicle was stopped is because the rear brake light was not working.

"There is no suggestion about bad driving whatsoever.

"There is no suggestion that when [Velkoop] was spoken to he was perceived by the police as being under the influence or impaired in any way."

He added: "If [Velkoop] was 22 times over the drink drive limit, he'd be dead.

"I don't think this is a measure that assists."

Velkoop was disqualified from driving for a year and four months, and has been ordered to pay costs of £85, a £20 victim surcharge and a £120 fine.

He grinned broadly at friends sitting in the public gallery as he left the dock.