An English drug addict who drove his van more than four times the legal limit has been banned from the roads for a year.
Ross Green, from Doncaster, had been working as a scaffolder in the north-east when he was caught on the A952 Fraserburgh to Mintlaw road.
His parking near Rathen saw him come to the attention of passing police officers, Peterhead Sheriff Court was told.
Green, who has never appeared in person to answer his charges, was sentenced after lodging his guilty plea by letter earlier this year.
Driver was ‘nervous’ and ‘wide-eyed’
The court heard officers had been in the area on July 27 last year when they came across his white Renault Master parked on a corner near South School Croft, Rathen.
Fiscal depute Lydia Williams said when constables spoke to him at the scene, Green appeared “nervous” and “wide-eyed”.
She said: “They explained to him he was not going to be able to park there.
“They suspected him to be under the influence of drugs.”
When tested, he would return a reading of 304mg of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The limit is 50mg. Benzoylecgonine is a chemical compound that is associated with cocaine.
Banned for a year
Overseeing the case, Sheriff Robert McDonald banned Green from driving for one year.
In addition, he fined the 27-year-old £370, which he will pay at the rate of £10 per fortnight.
During the case, Green’s solicitor, Marianne Milligan, said he was trying to move on with his life following the conviction.
“He has had issues with drugs since he was 22,” she noted.
“He is trying to sort himself out, this was a wake-up call to him.
“He has said he is volunteering at a homeless shelter. Because he is putting something back into society, he is feeling better.”
She added that Green was currently in rehab in Oxford.