Seven-times drug limit driver 'still affected' by Caithness crash
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A driver who lost control on a bend in Caithness and crashed into a tree was more than seven times over the drug-driving limit.
Civil engineer George Longhorn admitted charges of dangerous driving and drug driving, on indictment, at Wick Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old from Hull was fined £1200 and banned from driving for two years. In addition, he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work within 18 months.
Sheriff Mark Lindsay KC heard that Longhorn was working in Caithness at the time of the accident on December 10, 2021. He had taken four friends with him on a sightseeing trip when his BMW left the A836 near Castletown.
They sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries. Two of them had to be freed from the vehicle by firemen.
Fiscal Shamielah Ghafar said that Longhorn negotiated a bend at too high a speed, mounted the verge, and struck a tree.
He provided a positive breath test and an analysis revealed a drug level of 359mg in his blood, the legal limit is 50mg. The drug involved was benzoylecgonine.
Miss Ghafar said there was no CCTV evidence and Longhorn's passengers were engaged on their mobile phones when the accident occurred.
Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said that Longhorn, of Nethersage Avenue, Mount Pleasant, Kingston-upon-Hull, thought, naively, that the drug was no longer in his system as it had been consumed several hours earlier and was "not the only driver" to have made that mistake. The accused was no longer using cocaine.
Miss MacDonald added that the accident was still affecting Longhorn mentally.
Sheriff Lindsay said he was satisfied that there were sufficient mitigating circumstances for him not to impose a custodial sentence.
Longhorn was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work while under supervision, on the dangerous driving charge, and was fined £1200 and banned for two years for having driven while under the influence of a drug.
The accused must also successfully pass an extended driving test if he wishes to get behind the wheel again.
