A cocaine driver who was nearly nine times the limit has avoided going to prison due to the impact it would have on his elderly mother.
Adrian Bremner, 47, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted having a metabolite of the Class A drug in his system when police stopped his car in October last year.
When police tested Bremner they found him to be almost nine times the legal limit.
His solicitor told the court that a driving ban for Bremner would have the biggest impact on his mum, who is 80 and has mobility issues.
White substance found
It was stated that on October 11 last year witnesses became aware of Bremner’s erratic driving as they attempted to make their way to Aberdeen train station and contacted the police.
When police officers caught up with the silver Honda, they followed it along Miller Street towards Links Road and Golf Road before stopping the car on St Machar Drive.
As the officer spoke to Bremner he noted his speech was slurred.
A search was thereafter carried out and a bag of white substance was found that later turned out to be cocaine valued at £20.
Bremner was taken to Kittybrewster Police Station where a blood test was carried out that provided a positive result for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
It showed that Bremner had 428mcg of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.
In the dock, Bremner pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle with a metabolite of cocaine in his system and a second charge of being in possession of 0.5 grams of cocaine.
Accused acts as driver for elderly mum
Defence solicitor Lynn Bentley told the court that despite have a record of previous convictions, Bremner had been out of trouble for quite some time.
“He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity,” she said.
“Mr Bremner knows that an inevitable period of disqualification will result from this.”
Ms Bentley went on to state that Bremner often provided the function of a driver for his mum who was 80 and suffered from mobility issues.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Bremner that this was a “significant reading” and one that would justify a prison sentence.
“It’s my responsibility to ensure public safety,” he said, adding: “But I’m concerned that if I send you to custody it would have a disproportionate effect on your mother.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Mann made Bremner, of Oldtown Terrace, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision for 12 months while also making him subject to an electronic tag via a restriction of liberty order for six months.
The sheriff additionally disqualified Bremner from driving for three years.
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