A woman who got behind the wheel while still under the influence of ketamine thought the drug had “worn off”, a court has heard.
Carla Stein, 20, was found in her car by police in Aberdeen after being alerted by the general public to someone driving erratically.
Police found Stein had pulled her vehicle over to the side of the road but was exhibiting slurred speech and in a confused state.
A blood test showed she had the powerful anaesthetic ketamine in her system.
Her solicitor told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Stein was under the “mistaken understanding that the drug had worn off”.
Stein pleaded guilty to one charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs on Aberdeen’s Beach Boulevard, Links Road and Wales Street.
Members of public alerted police to erratic driver
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told the court that police had attended due to reports from concerned members of the public that Stein was driving a car while under the influence.
He said: “Officers found the accused to be in the driver’s seat of a stationary vehicle, albeit switched on.
“The accused had slurred speech and appeared to be in a state of confusion with poor motor skills that were delayed.
“A blood test was taken and sent for analysis.”
The result showed that Stein had 0.35mg of ketamine in her bloodstream.
‘She foolishly made the decision to drive home’
Defence agent Caitlin Pirie told the court that on the night in question Stein had gone to a friend’s house and experimented with the anaesthetic drug ketamine.
“She had gone out in the afternoon and had taken the drug around 4pm”, Ms Pirie said.
“And it wasn’t until much later that evening that she foolishly made the decision to drive home.
“She had phoned various taxi companies and wasn’t able to book a taxi and she was under the mistaken understanding that the drug had worn off.
“She made the decision to get into her vehicle and realised whilst she was driving that she had made a mistake.
“She tried to pull over the car to exit the vehicle and find another way home, but she hadn’t pulled the car over far enough into the lane and that is likely why she came to the attention of the public.”
Ms Pirie added that the incident was a matter of “much regret” for Stein who was “very sorry for her actions”.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland told Stein: “You have found yourself here today because of a bad decision.
“Young people sometimes make bad decisions and the consequences for you will be on what happens here today.”
Sheriff Sutherland banned Stein, of Cypress Walk, Aberdeen, from driving for 12 months and fined her £320.
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