Cannabis drug-driver also had psychedelic substance
A man caught drug-driving on the A9 also had a hallucinogenic 'mushroom substance' with him.
Paul Stewart's vehicle was stopped by police for a routine check, but officers soon suspected he was under the influence of cannabis.
A roadside drug wipe confirmed their suspicion, and a subsequent search of his vehicle turned up an envelope containing a 'mushroom substance' later confirmed to be the class A psychedelic compound Psilocin.
Stewart appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit drug-driving and possession of a class A drug.
Fiscal depute Anna Boyle told the court it was around 8am on November 6 2023 that police officers travelling southbound on the A9 near North Kessock pulled Stewart's vehicle over for a routine check.
She said: 'They stopped the car and spoke with the accused. They suspected him to be under the influence of cannabis and required him to provide a specimen, which returned a positive result.'
A search was then carried out and an envelope containing a mushroom substance was found.
Stewart was taken to the police station. where testing showed him to have 6.8 microgrammes of the cannabis derivative delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per litre of blood – the legal limit being two microgrammes.
The fiscal depute told the court that the street value of the Psilocin in Stewart's possession was unknown.
Solicitor Donna Sievewright, for Stewart, said her 51-year-old client had been suffering from mental health problems following the death of his mother and had been attempting to self-medicate with substances at the time of the offence.
She told the court: 'He thought he was fit to drive and knows that was a serious error of judgement.'
She added: 'He is no longer using illicit substances.'
Sheriff David Harvie told Stewart, who gave a relative's Elgin address to the court for correspondence: 'I'm sorry to hear about the death of your mother – I can understand the impact that that has had on you. I'm pleased to hear you are no longer seeking to deal with your issues by self-medicating.'
He disqualified him from driving for 12 months and fined him £320.
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