A man who was caught driving more than seven times the cocaine limit has told a court that he doesn’t know how the drug ended up in his system.
Colin Wilkinson was reported to police by staff at a Shell garage in Aberdeen after they saw him returning to his black Audi while appearing to be under the influence.
Upon being taken into police custody, the 56-year-old was tested and found to have a significant quantity of cocaine metabolite in his bloodstream.
His defence solicitor said her client had been socialising the previous night but “couldn’t account” for why drugs were later found in his system.
Aberdeen police found Colin Wilkinson ‘under the influence’
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told Aberdeen Sheriff Court around 2am on January 13 last year, Wilkinson’s Audi was seen by a member of staff at the Shell Cocket Hat Filling Station on the A96, North Anderson Drive, Aberdeen.
“She saw the driver get back into the vehicle and he appeared to be under the influence,” Ms Ross said.
“The staff member then contacted the police who attended and found the car running and the accused in the driver’s seat. There was also a passenger in the vehicle.”
Police officers noticed that Wilkinson “appeared to be under the influence of a substance” so they carried out a roadside test, which produced a positive result.
He was arrested and taken to Kittybrewster police station where his blood was tested.
Wilkinson was found to have 365mcg of benzoylecgonine – a metabolite of cocaine – per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.
Aberdeen court bans drug-driver from roads
Appearing in the dock, Wilkinson pled guilty to one charge of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an excess amount of cocaine metabolite in his system.
His lawyer Laura Gracie told the court that her client had been with “an acquaintance” the night before and they had been drinking.
“He cannot account for why drugs were in his system, but he accepts that he was driving the vehicle,” she said.
“Mr Wilkinson is aware that he will be disqualified.”
His defence solicitor also informed the court that Wilkinson had been involved in a car accident after his drug-driving offence.
He suffered a number of injuries that meant he was now “wheelchair-bound”.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge imposed a road ban on Wilkinson, of Wellheads Avenue, Dyce, Aberdeen, for a year and fined him a total of £340.
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