A motorist whose car was “stinking of cannabis” when police stopped him because he had been driving too fast in Redruth was taking the drug because he was addicted to it and also to give him pain relief following an unsuccessful leg operation, magistrates were told.

Luke Jean Keogh, aged 23, |of Boslowick Road, Falmouth, pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates’ Court to possessing 25.97 grams of cannabis |on November 11. He also admitted breaching a conditional discharge.

Alison May, for the CPS, said when police went to the car it was stinking of cannabis and they were shown quantities of green herbal cannabis Keogh had with him.

He had previous drug-related convictions.

His solicitor Alex Blair said he had been using cannabis for about nine years, but recently this was exacerbated for pain relief following a motorcycle accident injury which had been unsuccessfully treated.

He realised now he could not continue to use it in this way and needed to do something about it.

The case was adjourned to February 23 for a drugs rehabilitation treatment assessment.