Wick drug driving suspect had 'needle phobia'
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Wick Sheriff Court was told a drug-driving suspect refused to provide a blood sample because he had a phobia of needles.
"He is absolutely terrified of needles," defence solicitor George Mathers told Sheriff Neil Wilson, on Tuesday.
However, the solicitor accepted that it was not a legitimate reason for Alex Bruce refusing to provide the blood sample.
Mr Mathers acknowledged that if Bruce were to repeat that excuse he would never be convicted of any offence involving blood samples despite it having been "a valid and genuine excuse" so far as the accused was concerned.
Sheriff Wilson remarked it was an excuse that would have given Bruce "carte blanche" in any future such situations f it was accepted.
Bruce, of Glamis Road, Wick, was fined £375 and banned from driving for a year after he admitted having failed to provide a specimen of blood at Wick Police Station.
He was earlier stopped by the police in the town, on April 11 last year, driving his motorbike.
