A drug-driver was ‘fortunate’ not to cause an accident when he narrowly missed oncoming traffic as he swerved into the wrong lane while motoring through a Perthshire village.
Roughcaster Graeme Thomson was told he was lucky to have avoided more serious consequences when he drove his works van to the shops in St Madoes after taking cocaine.
The 37-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted dangerous driving with the class A drug in his system on February 2 2023.
He was banned from the road for 16 months and fined £200.
Waved at witness
The court heard a witness in a Range Rover became concerned about Thomson’s driving as she entered St Madoes via the A90 at around lunchtime.
A depute fiscal said: “As she neared the shop on Errol Road, she noticed Mr Thomson’s van reversing from the parking area onto the main road.
“She stopped to allow the van to continue its manoeuvre but she became concerned about how slowly the van was moving, it appeared to be coasting.”
The court was told the van then mounted a pavement at the rear.
Thomson waved at the witness, as if to apologise, then drove towards Errol, the prosecutor said.
“The vehicle’s speed increased and Mr Thomson began veering across the central line.
“The van narrowly missed an oncoming vehicle.”
It then came to a complete stop at the Pitfour Castle junction.
The witness drove past and parked at the village community centre to call police.
Drowsy with glazed eyes
Another witness saw the stationary van in the middle of the road, straddling both lanes.
It was spotted a short time later parked outside the village shop.
“Mr Thomson was observed coming out of the shop,” the fiscal depute said.
“He appeared to stumble and witnesses were concerned he could be intoxicated.”
Concerned locals approached him and asked him to turn off the van’s ignition.
His speech was slurred and his eyes glazed, they said.
When police arrived at 1pm, Thomson was attempting to repair a wheel arch that had fallen off the van.
“He appeared unsteady on his feet, had constricted pupils and was drowsy,” the prosecutor said.
Thomson was arrested after failing a roadside drug test and a later blood sample showed he had cocaine in his system.
Fortunate
Defence agent Kerr Sneddon said: “He had been roughcasting that day, working a short distance from the shop.
“His friend had driven them to the house they were working on but about lunch time he made the decision to drive to the shop, where he drove in this erratic manner.”
Mr Sneddon said his client, from Edinburgh, is now out of work.
Sheriff Neil Kinnear told Thomson: “This could have ended much worse than it did.
“Your driving could have had very serious consequences but fortunately for you and everyone else it didn’t.”
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