Offender has car confiscated by court in Inverness as partial payment for fine

A woman had her £500 Fiat Punto confiscated by Inverness Sheriff Court in partial payment of a fine.

Jennifer Hillhouse of Mackay Road, Inverness, appeared from custody and pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance there on May 18 as well as possession of 0.3 grams of cannabis and failing to provide a blood sample to police.

Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood told the court that police saw the 39-year-old driving in Bridge Street, Inverness before stopping her in the Hilton street. Officers suspected she should not have been driving.

She was breathalysed, was found to be marginally over the alcohol limit and was taken to Burnett Road police station.

Mrs Eastwood said a saliva test proved positive for cocaine but Hillhouse was just on the legal alcohol limit of 22mcgs of alcohol.

"Police suspected she may have taken other substances and wanted a blood sample but she refused." the prosecutor added.

Defence solicitor advocate Mike Chapman said his client didn't like injections and that was why she refused.

He went on: "She has a troubled history. She had been disqualified from driving but that expired. However it slipped her mind to re-apply for her licence. She had insurance but it was invalidated because she didn't have a licence."

Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald fined her £60, forfeited the car and banned her from driving for a year.

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