Using cocaine some days before being stopped by police has proven costly for a Carmarthenshire brick layer.

Simon Fry-Bradley, of Ystradowen, pleaded guilty to driving a car with a proportion of Benzoylecgonine above the specified limit in his blood at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday, October 23.

Prosecuting, Abul Hussain said Fry-Bradley was stopped by police at the A477 Sageston bypass on July 19 and tested positive for the presence of cocaine.

Benzoylecgonine is a chemical which appears in the body when cocaine is broken down.

Fry-Bradley was arrested and taken to a police station for questioning. There a blood analysis revealed he had 215 micrograms of Benzoylecgonine per litre of blood in his system, nearly four times the legal limit.

Defending, Mark Layton said Fry-Bradley had taken cocaine some days prior to driving.

“The effects of the cocaine had stopped before he was driving,” said Mr Layton.

“The police say the defendant’s eyes were glazed. Mr Fry-Bradley says it was one of these very hot summer days.

“If they were glazed it was not to do with the drugs.”

Mr Layton asked magistrates limit any driving ban to as short a time as possible, as he relied upon driving for his work as a bricklayer.

Magistrates ordered Fry-Bradley to pay a £500 fine, £50 surcharge and £80 court costs, totalling £635 owed to the court.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.