A lorry driver involved in a double fatal road crash in Perthshire has admitted he was behind the wheel with cocaine in his system.
Former soldier Alan MacDonald appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and pled guilty to motoring down the A9 while 16 times the drug-drive limit on October 6 last year.
His tipper truck was involved in a collision with a Mercedes C200 near Dunkeld.
The male driver and female passenger of the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard MacDonald, 37, was not responsible for the crash and has not been prosecuted for dangerous or careless driving.
He is suing the car-hire firm connected to the Mercedes after he was left with PTSD as a result of the crash.
The identities of those killed have never been made public.
Drug swab
Fiscal depute Stephanie Hendry told the court: “At about 5.30pm, the accused was travelling south along the A9, between Bankfoot and Birnam.
“He was involved in a road traffic collision.”
Just after 7pm, MacDonald was spoken to by officers at the scene.
When asked to identify the driver of the lorry, he said: “Myself. Alan.”
Ms Hendry said: “He was then requested to provide a specimen of breath and saliva.
“He complied and the alcohol reading came back as zero.
“However, he tested positive for cocaine.”
MacDonald, of Dunkeld Road, Perth, was arrested and taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
He was discharged later that night.
He pled guilty to a charge of having 800 mics of benzoylecgonine – a metabolite of cocaine – per 100ml of blood.
The permitted limit is 50 mics.
Resigned from company
The court heard MacDonald had been driving for local firm Mills Contractors.
His lawyer said he had resigned from the company last week “in anticipation of today’s court hearing”.
MacDonald had been with the firm for about 16 months.
He was a soldier for 14 years and served in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.
“Mr MacDonald had taken cocaine the night before,” his solicitor said.
“By the time he came to drive the vehicle, he was no longer feeling the effects of the drug.”
Crash ‘not relevant’ to drug charge
Sheriff Mungo Bovey questioned MacDonald’s role in the accident.
“I’m not minded to ignore the way this offence came to the attention of the police,” he said.
The sheriff paused the case for the court to secure a police accident report.
When the hearing resumed, Ms Hendry said the report was “too sensitive” to read out in open court.
“The collision isn’t relevant to this prosecution.
“It was not brought about by the substance in the accused’s system.
“It was simply how he was caught, for want of a better word.”
Sheriff Bovey deferred sentence for background reports.
MacDonald was handed an interim driving ban.
Witness appeal
After the crash, the A9 was shut for more than 13 hours, with drivers forced into a 31-mile diversion.
At the time, Perth-based Sergeant David Farr issued an appeal for witnesses and dash cam footage.
He said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man and woman who died following this crash.”
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