A Fife man has been banned from the road after being caught driving at five times the legal drug drive limit.
Jacob Barker-Johnston pled guilty to the offence on the A92 Kirkcaldy to Lochgelly road on November 9 last year.
Procurator fiscal depute Laurelle Johnstone told Dunfermline Sheriff Court the 23-year-old was stopped around 9.45pm by police, who later took a blood sample which revealed no less than 10mcg of THC per litre of blood/2mcg.
Defence lawyer Lucy Douglas said her client accepts the seriousness of his offending and advises he had a drug problem and was smoking two to three grammes of cannabis each day.
The solicitor said: “Due to what happened he realised his problem and has cut down and is trying to stop altogether but obviously it’s a process.”
Sheriff Charles Macnair told Barker-Johnston: “Driving with five times the legal amount of cannabis in your blood is extremely dangerous.”
If drugs are illegal, why are there legal limits for drug-driving?
The sheriff banned him from driving for 16 months in relation to the drug driving offence.
Barker-Johnston, of Kirkcaldy’s Kidd Street, also admitted a second charge of driving without any valid insurance policy in place.
Sheriff Macnair would have also fined him a total of £600 for the offences but he is unable to afford it so instead must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
Zoo row
The manager of Fife Zoo was convicted – but not punished – for assaulting the attraction’s director in a row over bullying. Kenneth Gibney shoved over and kicked Michael Knight in the bitter dispute. He was admonished at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Domestic abuse
George Stark appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court, where he admitted domestically abusing his ex-wife.
Stark, 35, was witnessed by police shouting and swearing and putting his estranged partner in a state of fear and alarm on April 16 this year at their home on Honeygreen Road, Dundee.
Depute fiscal Rachel Hill told the court police arrived and could hear the accused shouting and complainer screaming..
“Officers went upstairs and could see the complainer was visibly upset.
“The accused was taken to the police vehicle, he appeared under the influence and was hostile.
“He was placed in handcuffs and in response to caution and charge responded ‘it’s a joke’.”
Solicitor Jim Laverty, in mitigation for Stark, said: “The two parties have been together for 19 years and on the day in question the relationship had deteriorated.
“He accepts at this time he was using illicit substances as a crutch.
“He’s now in treatment with local drug action services.”
The court heard his former wife did not wish the court to implement a non-harassment order.
Sheriff Richard More sentencing Stark, now of Buttars Road, to 20 hours community service.
Fast food joint pervert
A pensioner who once molested a horse has admitted sexually assaulting a teenager at a Perth McDonald’s. ‘Lonely’ William Nicol, 75, was caught with his hand up a horse’s backside in 2013 and has now been convicted of a further sexual offence.
Booze theft
A man has been fined after stealing almost £20 of booze from a supermarket.
Steven Stewart, 40, admitted stealing alcohol from Co-Op on Albert Street on April 22 this year.
Stewart has a long history of offending and solicitor Theo Finlay explained his client had slipped back into drug mis-use.
He said: “This is his first new matter for sometime.
“He has had a relapse into more drug misuse.
“He has not offended for a while but he does have a bad record.”
Sheriff Robert More fined Stewart, of Brown Constable Street, £50, imposed a victim surcharge of £10 and a compensation order of £17.50 to replace the alcohol stolen.
Bayoh inquiry
Former police officer Alan Paton said he feared he was going to be killed in a “Lee Rigby incident” while arresting Sheku Bayoh, he told the inquiry into the Kirkcaldy man’s death. Mr Paton was affected by CS spray and still suffers PTSD from fearing he would be killed.
Drink-drove to police station
Alison Bell, 65, of Shamrock Street, Dunfermline, drove to Dunfermline Police Station while more than five times the legal drink-drive limit (116/22 mics)
Bell arrived shortly before midnight, claiming she wanted to hand in her car because she could not longer afford it.
But defence lawyer Alexander Flett told the city’s sheriff court the reality was Bell had been seeking help after a difficult period in her life which led to alcohol misuse.
The lawyer said his client had held a driver licence for 45 years without incident but has been struggling to cope from the death of her partner and the loss of her dog.
Mr Flett said: “In truth, rather than financial issues due to ownership of the vehicle, she just got herself into a state and went to the police station trying to get some kind of help.”
Procurator fiscal depute Laurelle Johnstone said when Bell handed over her car keys to officers on the night of April 15, she was intoxicated and said she had been drinking vodka.
The court heard she had driven about three quarters of a mile.
Court papers state she had 116/22mcg of alcohol in her breath.
Sheriff Charles Macnair told Bell: “I accept this may have been that you were wanting assistance but if you drive with that amount of alcohol in your breath, you are not only putting yourself but also members of the public at risk.
“I accept it was a relatively short distance that you travelled.”
The sheriff banned her from driving for a year and fined her £400.
Former director of Dundee tech firm locked up after police find cache of child abuse files
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
