Dufftown man who crashed and rolled car while on drugs handed roads ban

Press and Journal

25-05-2025

A Dufftown man who is unable to complete unpaid work because of injuries sustained over multiple car crashes has been banned from the roads for more than a year.
Garry Wilson appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court on Thursday for sentencing, after having previously admitted to being more than eight times over the legal limit of benzoylecgonine – a metabolite of cocaine – when he crashed his Ford Fiesta in December 2023.
The 51-year-old, who used a crutch to make his way to and from the dock, was spared an unpaid work order after being told that injuries he sustained in previous crashes would prevent him from carrying out the tasks.
Fiscal depute Shay Treanor said police attended a scene on the A941 Dufftown to Craigellachie road in the evening of December 12 after receiving reports that a car had left the road and rolled over into a field.
He said: 'Police, ambulance, and fire and rescue services were dispatched where they found the accused trapped within the driver's seat.
'He had to be extracted from the vehicle by the fire service.'
Officers would carry out a roadside drug test, which returned a positive result.
Wilson would ultimately be found to have 415mg of the metabolite per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 50mg.
Defence solicitor Matthew O'Neill said Wilson, of Hillside Avenue, had turned to the drug as a way of dealing with emotional and physical pain.
'He realises after having discussed matters with me and I think also with his GP, whom he's attended with since these proceedings began, that was a foolish decision for him to have made,' he said.
'His difficulties have caused an impact on him for a significant period of time. He realises, my lord, there is simply no excuse and realises that having driven in the manner that he did he could have caused similar issues to those that he has encountered to others.'
He added Wilson was unable to complete any unpaid work because there are 'days when he's simply unable to get himself out of his house'.
Sheriff David Harvie, in sentencing Wilson, made reference to 'a number' of crashes that he had been involved in.
'You've had a previous ban from driving,' he added.
'The manner of driving is such that you managed to roll your car into a field and needed to be cut out. And, it says here in the report, part of the reason why you have some issues is because of the injuries you've suffered from crashes over the years.
'On the last occasion, I think you were banned for 12 months. This time, you'll be banned for 18 months.'
As part of the order, Wilson will also fall under the supervision of the social work department for 14 months.