A FATHER who drove to a Carlisle primary school to collect his son was over the drug drive limit for cannabis and cocaine.

Jamie Gibson, 39, admitted regularly using cannabis, saying he needed it for pain relief.

But he insisted that the cocaine breakdown product that was found in his system was the result of him having had his drink being spiked at a party days earlier, the city's Rickergate court heard.

Amy Lavery, prosecuting, said police stopped the defendant's Skoda Octavia outside the Carlisle primary school where his son is a pupil.

He was there to collect his son just after 3pm, but the officers who stopped him noticed a smell of cannabis coming from the car.

A test later showed that Gibson, of Broadoaks Court, Botcherby, was five times the permitted limit for cannabis in his system and a cocaine by-product was in his body at a concentration more than five times the legal limit for driving.

Jeff Smith, for Gibson, who admitted the two drug driving offences for each substance, said the defendant used cannabis to control pain after a cycling accident left him with a broken back.

But the lawyer said that Gibson had been completely unaware he had cocaine in his system.

"He had been to a party three or four days before and had his drink spiked by someone unknown to him with cocaine," said the lawyer.

"He immediately became ill and went to The Cumberland Infirmary."

The defendant was discharged from the hospital with no treatment and believed what had happened would not affect his ability to drive.

Mr Smith said Gibson had been foolish to drive with cannabis in his body but his offending was not as criminal as it may appear from the admitted charges.

The lawyer added: "He had no reason to believe the second drug was still in his body."

The defendant himself told the court: "I didn't realise I would be over the limit for both of them."

Magistrates said Gibson had chosen to drive despite knowing there was cannabis in his system.

The offence was also aggravated by him driving in that state outside a local school.

In addition to the driving ban, they fined him £120, with £85 costs, and a £30 victim surcharge