A former plumber was high on a cocktail of drugs when his Skoda Fabia slammed into a garden wall.
Privately owned CCTV camera footage showed Donald Young’s dramatic crash on the opposite side of the carriageway along Telford Road, Inverness.
He had already been recorded driving along the narrow lane of Lochalsh Court with his windscreen wipers on when it wasn’t even raining.
And after the 64-year-old slammed into the wall, he was seen making more than one attempt at reversing before driving to his home on Shore Street with his gears grinding.
He even struck an island for crossing pedestrians during the journey back to the property, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
‘You are lucky you didn’t do more damage’
Young pled guilty to the charge of driving carelessly on Lochalsh Court, Telford Road and Shore Street on April 10 last year.
He also admitted to driving while unfit through drugs.
Methadone, a cocaine metabolite, morphine and etizolam were all detected in his blood which had been sent away for analysis by police, Fiscal depute Adele Gray said.
“The front axle of his car was split as a result of impact,” she added.
The video evidence also showed that, just seconds before the initial collision, Young’s car drove straight across Telford Road immediately after a pick-up truck and another car had passed.
He was reported to police as a possible drunk driver when witnesses saw him get out of his car.
‘He has health difficulties and turned to drugs’
Defence solicitor Patrick O’Dea told the court that his client’s car had been scrapped because Young did not intend to get behind the wheel again.
“He has health difficulties and can’t work so he turned to drugs,” Mr O’Dea explained.
Sheriff Macdonald fined Young a total of £640 and banned him from driving for 19 months.
She told the offender: “I don’t know the levels of drugs in your blood and from viewing the video, I can see you were significantly under the influence of drugs.
“This was shocking behaviour and you are lucky you didn’t do more damage.”
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