A DRUG-DRIVER used cocaine in his mouth as pain relief for toothache, a court was told.

Graeme Fisher, 49, was pulled over in Maryport at 3pm on November 30, Workington Magistrates Court was told.

Peter Kelly, prosecuting said officers had noticed the grey Audi A3 the defendant was driving and felt it was being driven 'a little too fast'. There were also concerns that Fisher was not wearing a seatbelt.

He was asked to provide a drugs swipe, which gave a positive indication for cannabis. Fisher was taken to the police station and asked to provide a blood sample.

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This revealed that the defendant had 10mcg of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Fisher also had 59mcg of benzoylecgonine – the body breakdown product of cocaine – per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50mcg.

Mr Kelly said Fisher had not been in trouble since 2001.

The defendant, of Edinburgh Road, Maryport, pleaded guilty to two charges of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.

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John Cooper, defending, said: “He has not been in court for a significant period of time.

“He has been diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He has taken cannabis for this. He had a pain on the back of his tooth. He’s rubbed cocaine on that.

“I’ve not heard of that before. That’s what he has used cocaine for.”

Mr Cooper said Fisher had taken his seatbelt off when he pulled over.

Fisher was banned from driving for 23 months. He was fined £200 and must pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.