Frederick Jason Cooper, of Beach Road, pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in the blood on April 7.

He told the court he had smoked cannabis 10 days prior to being stopped by police, but a breached section 10 good behaviour bond was the reason for the heavy penalty.

Police facts state police stopped Cooper in his Holden ute on Beach Road at Batehaven for a random breath and drug test at 9.18am on November 15 last year.

The breath test was negative, but an oral fluid test gave a “positive indication”.

He was arrested, questioned and taken to a testing truck, where he gave another oral fluid sample, of which a portion was further analysed.

The sample tested negative, but he was told that irrespective of this result a sample would be sent to the Division of Analytical Laboratories for more testing.

He admitted to police he had smoked cannabis and was later advised that the second test was positive.

“I’m kicking myself about it; it was so stupid,” Cooper said in court.

He said he only smoked cannabis about once a month and had now stopped altogether.

“I am fully apologetic, but I have come a long way from 15 years ago,” he said.

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie said this was a good example of how long cannabis could stay in the system.

Cooper was shocked at the three-year disqualification, and told the magistrate he would get a driver’s licence from Queensland.

“The ban is Australia-wide,” she replied.

Cooper called the penalty a “bloody joke” and stormed out of the court.