A tradesman was caught motoring through Perth city centre while nearly eight times the drug-driving limit – more than a-day-and-a-half after he had last taken cocaine.
Garry Watt hoovered up a gram of the class A drug some 36 hours before he was pulled over by police in the city’s South William Street.
Officers had no concerns about his driving but noticed the number plate of his pick-up truck was hanging loose.
Stonemason Watt was tested for drugs after police noticed a distinct smell of cannabis.
They recorded a reading of 396 mics of a cocaine breakdown product in his blood.
The legal limit is 50 mics.
Perth Sheriff Court heard despite the high reading, there was no evidence Watt was affected by the drug.
Foolhardy offence
The 47-year-old admitted driving his Mazda truck with the high drug level on September 4, 2020.
Sheriff William Wood told him: “For a family man who needs his employment this was a foolhardy thing for you to do.
“It may have been a hangover from the way you behaved in your youth – no pun intended – but obviously you are a man of responsibilities now.
“It’s time to put away childish things and not get into any more bother.”
The sheriff added: “I have taken into account everything that was said on your behalf, but I can’t ignore the fact this was a significant reading.
“The full impact of that is something that the courts have perhaps still to work through.”
Watt, of Staffa Court, Perth, told the sheriff: “Definitely. I’ve made a mistake.”
He was fined £600 and disqualified from driving for a year.
Impairment questioned
Solicitor David Holmes questioned what the court could establish from the drug level reading.
“It is not possible to decide someone’s impairment from the level of drugs in their system,” he said.
“In this case, we have a situation where this man has been able to go about his work, without a moment’s suggestion he was affected by impairment.”
He said: “He took cocaine on Wednesday evening, at about 10.30pm.
“He was stopped by police on Friday lunchtime.”
Mr Holmes said the cocaine in his system had broken down into a metabolite known as benzoylecgonine, which lasts longer in the bloodstream.
“He recognises that he has let his family down,” he said.
The court heard that Watt was driving to get his number plate fixed when he was pulled over.
