Man disqualified from driving after testing positive for cocaine in Moray town

A man has been banned from driving after testing positive for cocaine after being stopped by police.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard that at around 10.15pm on July 26, 2024, police officers were on patrol when they spotted a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.

Acting on information which suggested the driver may be under the influence of controlled drugs, officers stopped the car at approximately 10.20pm on Castle Street in Fochabers.

The driver, 25-year-old Ryan George, of Aird Street in Crudie, was tested at around 11:45pm in Elgin and returned a positive result for cocaine.

His reading was 129 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood, far exceeding the legal limit of 10 micrograms per litre.

In court, defence solicitor Megan Lee acknowledged that the test reading was “high”.

She explained that George had been struggling emotionally due to a difficult breakup. She also added that he was unemployed at the time of the incident.

However, Ms Lee said that George has since taken significant steps to turn his life around and that his life is “back in order”.

He has attended a private clinic for drug counselling and has consulted his GP to explore the “underlying issues” regarding his drug use.

Sheriff David Harvie imposed a 14-month driving disqualification on George and ordered him to complete 120 hours of unpaid work to be completed within six months.