Peter Joseph Kerstens pleaded guilty in Bathurst Local Court to driving with an illicit drug present in his blood

Peter Joseph Kerstens, 56, of Wyndham Avenue, Mount Wilson, was convicted and fined $1000 after he pleaded guilty in Bathurst Local Court to driving with an illicit drug present in his blood.

According to documents presented to the court, members of the Hawkesbury Highway Patrol were conducting drug and alcohol testing on the Great Western Highway at Raglan when they stopped a Toyota Landcruiser utility at 11.07am on June 23 this year.

The driver - Kerstens - was arrested and taken to Bathurst Police Station after he returned a positive oral drug fluid test to cannabis.

The court heard that while in custody, the 56-year-old told police he smoked a "joint" the afternoon before.

Kerstens then submitted a secondary oral drug test which came back negative.

Part of Kerstens' oral drug fluid sample was sent away for forensic and analytical analysis and it later came back positive to cannabis.

The court was told during sentencing that Kerstens smokes the prohibited drug for pain relief.

"What worries me is that it [cannabis] looks like an ongoing problem," Magistrate Ellis said.

In addition to the fine, Kerstens was disqualified from driving for three months.

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