A man has been handed a three-year road ban after crashing into stationary vehicles while under the influence of prescription medication.
Roy Robertson crashed into one vehicle on Beach Esplanade, Aberdeen, shunting it forward into another car.
But when the 41-year-old got out, apologised and tried to swap insurance details, witnesses noted he was unsteady on his feet and mumbling so contacted police.
When officers arrived, they found Robertson lying on the pavement complaining of back pain.
‘Unable to listen to basic commands’
Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around noon on January 26 last year.
She said both witnesses were in their parked vehicles when they felt a sudden shunt forward.
They got out and realised Robertson had collided with one of their vehicles.
Robertson then also got out of his car and approached them apologising and offering to discuss insurance details.
However, the witnesses noticed Robertson was “unsteady on his feet and mumbling his words” and suspected he may be under the influence.
Police were called and officers arrived to find Robertson “lying on the pavement complaining of back pain” and an ambulance had to be called.
‘At pains to stress that this was as a result of taking prescribed drugs’
Officers also noted he was “unable to listen to basic commands”, would speak over them while slurring his words and had pinpoint pupils.
A breath test and drug wipe both returned negative results, but Robertson was checked over by ambulance staff and later had a blood sample taken.
Robertson, of Forbes Street, Rosehearty, pled guilty to driving while unfit through drink or drugs.
Defence agent Marianne Milligan said her client, a father-of-five, is in full-time employment as a plant hire operator.
She said: “He accepts he was driving while unfit.
“He’s at pains to stress that this was as a result of taking prescribed drugs to deal with anxiety and depression.”
Mrs Milligan added that the issue of damage to the vehicles was being dealt with through insurance in the civil court.
Sheriff Mark Stewart noted Robertson had previously offended in a “similar way” and so banned him from driving for three years as well as fining him £520.
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