A DRUG-driver has been banned for having more than 12 times the legal limit of cocaine in his blood when police stopped him on his way home from a court appearance.

Alan Welch, formerly of Newton Abbot, was driving from Exeter Crown Court to Torquay after an adjourned hearing when he was pulled over by police.

He was stopped because he had been disqualified for an earlier drug-driving offence just two months before and was not entitled to be on the road at all.

A roadside drug swab proved positive and a blood test showed the level of cocaine metabolites was 661 milligrams per litre. There is a legal limit despite cocaine being a class A drug and it is 50.

Welch had been in court on the morning of July 18 last year accused of speeding at 103 mph in a stolen car and was stopped by police at 3.30 pm the same day.

His case had been adjourned for reports because he was at risk of a previous suspended sentence, imposed for acting as a bagman for a drug gang, being activated.

Welch, aged 47, formerly of Drake Close, Newton Abbot, but now living in Leigh, Greater Manchester, admitted drug-driving.

He also admitted two counts of driving while disqualified and uninsured, taking a car without consent, speeding, obstructing police, two thefts and going equipped.

Judge Timothy Rose jailed him for six months, suspended for two years and banned him from driving for three years at Exeter Crown Court.

He said he was not activating an earlier suspended sentence because Welch has succeeded in overcoming a long-standing drug problem during a six month deferment of sentence.

He has stayed out of trouble, kept to a nightly curfew, and provided negative drug tests.

Mr Ian Graham, prosecuting, said Welch received a 15 month suspended sentence in September 2018 and broke it by drug driving in Newton Abbot in December 2018.

He had extra days of supervision added for that offence on May 9, 2019, when the sentence was not activated at Exeter Crown Court, but he was disqualified from driving.

Welch took a £10,000 Kia Sportage without consent four days later and was stopped speeding at 103mph on the M5 near Bristol at 3am on May 26, 2019.

There were false plates on the car and he gave police a false name. He pleaded guilty to that at Exeter Crown Court on July 18, 2019, and was arrested again as he drove home.

A blood test showed a very high level of 661 milligrams of a metabolite of cocaine.

He was on bail and awaiting sentence when he went shoplifting in Torquay on January 20, being caught taking a £139 vacuum cleaner from The Range and £72.83 of meat from the Coop in Ilsham Road.

He had magnets in his pocket which were intended to disable security tags.

Miss Emily Pitts, defending, said Welch has moved away from Devon and has glowing reports from drug workers and probation.