Bonar Bridge driver who took to the wheel after drinking and taking a Class A drug, is fined and banned from the road
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A SUTHERLAND driver who tested positive for drink and drugs, has been fined £900, ordered to pay a £40 victims’ surcharge and banned from the road for three years.
Archie Lockie (22), of Migdale Road, Bonar Bridge, came to police attention on April 16, 2021, while driving on the A9 between Tain and the Dornoch Bridge.
Prosecutor Pauline Gair told Tain Sheriff Court today: “Officers decided to stop the vehicle driven by the accused to ensure the documents were in order.
“The driver was then seen to be affected by alcohol and he told officers: “I will not lie to you, I had a few drinks earlier."
Tests carried out at Burnett Road Police Station in Inverness showed Lockie to have 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – more than twice the legal limit of 22 in 100.
A search of his person found him to be in possession of cannabis, a Class B drug, and as a result he was given a drugs test and was discovered to have 64mg of Benzoylecgonine per litre of blood – the limit is 50mg.
Benzoylecgonine is the central compound found in cocaine and the marker for a positive test for the banned substance.
Lockie admitted at a previous court three charges - drink driving; possession of cannabis; and driving a vehicle with benzoylecgonine in his system.
Sentence was deferred at that point for a background report.
Defence lawyer Rory Gowans told today'ss court that Lockie was about to take up a position as an apprentice butcher and had “given himself a shake”.
“He had been drinking earlier that day and had taken Class A drugs, but naively thought he would be okay to drive,” said the lawyer. “I think he has learned a valuable lesson from all this. He knows that if he continues offending, there is only one place he will end up.”
Mr Gowans acknowledge his client had a previous analogous conviction which “clearly causes a problem".
Passing sentence, Sheriff Gary Aitken admonished Lockie on the possession charge but fined him £450 each on the other two along with the road ban.
