An electrician who was driving under the influence of cocaine mounted pavements, crashed into plant pots and hit a road traffic sign.
Kieran Robinson’s erratic driving was spotted by motorists after he pulled out onto the A93 Dess to Kincardine O’Neill road, causing other road users to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
The 26-year-old was then seen to swerve and stop in the middle of the road before mounting pavements on either side of the road and hitting whatever was in his path.
Robinson then stopped his car and helped locals clean up the mess he’d made.
When he was drug tested by police, he returned a positive result for cocaine, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Sheriff Eric Brown told Robinson he was “extremely fortunate” that no one was injured.
Car was veering across busy road
Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard told the court that on the morning of October 11 last year drivers were travelling to work on the A93 near Kincardine O’Neill in Aberdeenshire.
They became aware of a white Citroen Berlingo sitting on a grass verge at the side of the road.
“One woman who was three car lengths away watched the car exit from the grass verge and join the single carriageway road,” Ms Pritchard said.
“The car indicated to turn right but didn’t and the woman had to quickly brake and sound her horn.
“The vehicle was increasing and decreasing its speed but continued to travel along the road.
“It then fully stopped in the carriageway near the business Deeside Log Cabins before continuing on again.
“The car then veered towards the nearside carriageway and then towards the pavement on the other side, colliding with a plant pot in the village of Aboyne.
“It then veered the other way, mounted the pavement on that side and collided with another plant pot and a road sign.”
Broken plant pots and debris
Robinson’s vehicle then came to a complete stop on the pavement before reversing and going down a side road towards a farm track.
He then got out of the car and went to help locals clean up the broken plant pots and debris.
When the police arrived, members of the public then identified Robinson as the driver.
A roadside breath test showed he was negative for alcohol but police believed he may be under the influence of another substance as he appeared drowsy.
A drug swab showed a positive result for cocaine and a subsequent blood test showed Robinson had 16 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving and a further charge of driving while under the influence of cocaine.
‘Wake-up call’
Defence agent Michael Burnett told the court that his client hadn’t taken cocaine immediately before driving but that it was still in his system from “days before”.
He added: “He felt fine to drive but, after colliding with the plant pots, he realised he wasn’t okay to drive.
“This has very much served as a wake-up call for him and he has taken a long hard look at himself.”
Sheriff Brown told Robinson: “You are extremely fortunate that no one was struck or who knows what could have happened?
“The dangerous driving was aggravated by the fact that you were under the influence.”
The sheriff banned Robinson, of Bankhead Road, Aberdeen, from driving for 16 months and fined him £1,200.
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