A Dingwall driver who was foaming at the mouth when stopped by police was more than three times the drug-driving limit.
Jack MacLean, 20, tried to hide his face from police when he passed them on the road in Dingwall – raising their suspicions.
When officers caught up and stopped him they noted his pupils were dilated, his speech slurred and he had “foam around his mouth”.
MacLean appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single drug driving charge in relation to the stop on February 19 last year, as well as driving without insurance.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told Sheriff Robert Frazer that it was in the early hours of the morning when officers spotted MacLean in his vehicle.
Jack MacLean’s ‘saliva test was positive for cocaine’
He dipped his head as if to conceal his identity and their suspicions were aroused.
They followed him along Old Evanton Road and into MacLeod Place where he was stopped at about 1.30am
“He had dilated pupils, slurred speech and foam around his mouth. He was searched for drugs with a negative result but a saliva test was positive for cocaine.” Ms Duffy-Welsh said.
Subsequent testing revealed solar panel fitter Maclean had 33 microgrammes of cocaine per litre of blood – the limit for driving being 10 microgrammes.
Defence solicitor John MacColl said: “It was an error of judgement on his part.”
He added: “He was driving a friend’s car with his consent and took out a short insurance policy to cover him. But it ran out at midnight.”
MacLean, of Drumdyre Road, Dingwall, was fined a total of £940.