AN Isle of Wight man was caught drug driving a BMW while more than four times the cannabis limit, after a police officer who had once cautioned him recognised him at a McDonald's drive thru.  

Craig Leahy, of Manna Road, Bembridge, admitted drug driving, in Ryde, on February 16, when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

At around 2.20pm, police on patrol on Brading Road saw Leahy at the McDonald's drive thru and pulled him over in a layby.

When officers approached the driver's door of the sport coupe, jobless Leahy was reluctant to open it to them, had looked nervous and "needed a lot of persuasion" to take a roadside drug swipe, said Lauren Stone, prosecuting.

At Newport Police Station, following his arrest for failing the test, Leahy — with no previous convictions — provided a blood sample, which revealed he had a reading of 9.0 mg/l of cannabis metabolyte THC.

The legal limit is 2.0.   

For 29-year-old Leahy, Oscar Vincent said his client was keen to emphasise he had not smoked cannabis three days prior to being tested for drug driving.

"There is no evidence of bad or unacceptable driving on his part," said Mr Vincent.

"He was on a routine shopping trip and came to the attention of a police officer, who recognised him having handed him a conditional caution on December 2 last year."

Magistrates banned Leahy from driving for 12 months and fined him £120, with £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.