A man who tested positive for cocaine in a roadside drug test lost his driving licence and therefore his livelihood when he appeared before the October sitting of Campbeltown Sheriff Court.
Kirk Gavin Lang, of 44 New Parliament Place, Campbeltown, admitted driving on the A83 with 83 micrograms of Benzoylecgonine per litre of blood in his system; the limit is 50.
Procurator fiscal depute Rebecca Reid said officers had reason to stop a car being driven by Lang, aged 22, on January 22 last year on Kinloch Road.
“He was quite talkative and the pupils of his eyes were very large and his eyes were watering,” the fiscal said.
Lang passed the alcohol breath test but the roadside mouth swab test for drugs proved positive for cocaine. He was taken to Campbeltown Police Station to give a sample of blood for testing.
Defence agent John B McGeechan presented testimonial letters to the court on behalf of Lang and said that his employment depended on having a driving licence.
“He had taken nothing on the day,” he said.
Sheriff Euan Cameron told Kirk that the charge carried an automatic driving ban, adding: “As your agent said, a ban will be a disaster for you; you are the author of your own misfortune. You have only yourself to blame.”
As well as the ban, the sheriff fined Lang £360.