An AYRSHIRE man has been fined, and banned from the roads, after trying to relax then getting behind the wheel near Irvine.

Though it was Steven Minnis' "method of relaxation" which saw him appear in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Thursday, April 6.

The 22-year-old, of Allan's Hill in Maybole, pleaded guilty to one charge of driving over the legal drug limit when he appeared at the court.

Minnis was caught by cops near Irvine, driving on the A78 between Greenock and Monkton, with eight microgrammes of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis) in his blood - when the legal limit is just two microgrammes.

The procurator fiscal depute explained the circumstances which led to police pulling over Minnis' vehicle.

They explained how, at around 9.30pm on May 21, 2022, his vehicle had been stopped while he was driving on the road near Irvine as he had a faulty brake light.

When speaking to him, police officers detected the strong smell of cannabis so gave him roadside drugs swap - which returned positive.

Trying to add some additional context to the situation, Minnis' defence solicitor explained how he "had been working very hard”.

They continued to explain how he used cannabis as his “method of relaxation”.

They also noted that Minnis was not pulled over for how he was driving – rather for the brake light issue.

However, they added that Minnis "realises he should not have been driving with cannabis in his system" - hence his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

Passing sentence, the courts sheriff told Minnis "there is very little leeway in this at all".

They then handed the Maybole man a £420 fine, which will be payable at a rate of £100 per month.

Minnis was also disqualified from driving for a period of 12 months.