A Kirkcaldy woman was stopped by police in her car after driving erratically through the town while high on cocaine, heroin and Etizolam.
Sarah Walkingshaw, 42, admitted driving while unfit to do so through drink or drugs on May 16 last year.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard witnesses called police after she was seen swerving her Ford Fiesta towards another vehicle and nearly crashing into it near Kirkcaldy West roundabout that evening.
Procurator fiscal depute Mat Piskorz described other motorists being “alarmed” by the situation and the woman’s demeanour, having formed the impression she was under the influence when alongside her at the roundabout.
Her car was also seen “continually swerving” across Cluny Road a short time before this.
Nearly collided with street furniture
The fiscal depute said: “As the accused was driving along the esplanade, police officers got behind the car and they could see her swerving on the road.
“The accused went through an amber light as it changed to red and police followed and turned on blue lights to get her to stop.
“The accused initially swerved into the middle of the road, where she nearly collided with road furniture before coming to a halt.”
Mr Piskorz said police described her being “extremely unsteady on her feet” and slurring her words once she’d exited the vehicle.
A roadside breath test provided a zero reading but a blood sample was later analysed and showed traces of a breakdown product of cocaine, as well as heroin and Etizolam.
Walkingshaw, of Greenloanings in Kirkcaldy, pled guilty to driving while unfit to do so through drink or drugs on Kirkcaldy High Street on May 16 last year.
Sentence deferred
Defence lawyer Martin McGuire said his client had been a long term employee in the care industry and had no previous convictions.
He linked her offending to mental health difficulties resulting from the breakdown of her marriage.
The solicitor said she did seek assistance following the incident and no longer uses illicit substances.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith said: “It’s a serious case to be driving having consumed cocaine, heroin and Etizolam.”
The sheriff said that, despite her lack of record and early guilty plea, the drug use and sustained course of driving meant he would need to obtain a a background report for Walkingshaw.
Sentencing was deferred until August 10 for the production of this report.
Walkingshaw was also banned from driving in the interim.
