Inverness drug-driver gets fine and ban after taking partner's car
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Police suspected a motorist was under the influence of drugs after they stopped his vehicle in Inverness last April.
Officers carried out drug swipes on 34-year-old Kevin MacLeod, of Rosehaugh Road, Inverness and they confirmed the presence of cannabis and cocaine.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that subsequent blood tests revealed readings of 7mcgs of cannabis when the legal driving limit is 2mcgs and 252mcgs of a cocaine metabolite when the safe limit is 50mcgs.
However, Sheriff Gary Aitken heard that MacLeod's troubles were not over as checks revealed he had taken his partner's vehicle without her authority from Fraser Street in Conon Bridge on April 2 last year.
MacLeod admitted the two drug-driving offences and taking and driving the car away without permission.
Defending, Roger Webb told the court: "The owner was his partner of six years. The relationship is still ongoing. He had a bad week, reverted to previous behaviours and felt the need to drive to Inverness."
Fining MacLeod a total of £640 and banning him from driving for a year, Sheriff Aitken told him: "This was an ill-advised thing to do. No matter how bad things were, taking drugs wouldn't have made them better."
