A drug-driver was caught out after the stench of cannabis wafting from his van was so strong even cops travelling behind him on motorbikes could smell it.
Dean Main’s vehicle was driving along A944 Aberdeen-to-Westhill road when the traffic cops detected the distinct smell of cannabis through their motorbike helmets.
The 30-year-old, of Skene, was pulled over and found to be more than three times the drug-driving limit.
A search of him and his white Vauxhall Vivaro van by officers found two packages of cannabis worth £80, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal Kiril Bonavino said the police officers had been on uniformed mobile patrol when they pulled over Main’s van at around 4.15pm on January 14.
Cannabis smell was emanating from van
“They saw his van travelling ahead of them and essentially smelled cannabis emanating from the vehicle,” he told the court.
“The vehicle was stopped and the accused was found to be the driver and sole occupant.
“When speaking to him an even stronger smell was emanating from the van.”
Main, a dad-of-one, gave drug saliva and blood tests which later found he had 7mg of cannabis per litre of blood in his system, the legal limit being 2mg.
He admitted a charge of driving whilst over the legal drug-drive limit. He also admitted being in possession of cannabis, but was admonished.
Defence agent Paul Barnett said his client had been using cannabis recreationally at the time as he was “going through a difficult period”.
‘He fully regrets this’
“He had travelled from Westhill, where he was living with his parents, to Aberdeen to buy cannabis as he had been using it recreationally,” Mr Barnett added.
“He made the decision to drive home again and he fully regrets this.”
Sheriff William Summers banned Main, of Millhouse, Garlogie, from the road for 12 months and handed him 60 hours of unpaid work.
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