Courts in Moray: A96 cannabis driver was doing 86mph
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A SPEEDING motorist has lost his driving licence after he was found to have cannabis in his system.
Police conducting roadside checks on the A96 pulled over John Minnican at about 9.10pm on July 8.
The 31-year-old was stopped on the outskirts of Alves by officers who had been using a laser device.
This recorded the single dad as having been travelling at 86mph within a 60mph zone.
Procurator Fiscal Sharon Poke told Elgin Sheriff Court that, at the time of the offence, it had still been daylight and the road conditions were fine.
But a test conducted by the side of the A96 provided a positive reading for cannabis.
This was later confirmed by an official test conducted at 9.50pm that same evening inside Elgin police station.
The second test recorded Minnican's body contained 6.7 grammes of THC – the active chemical in cannabis – per litre of blood.
Anything above 2 grammes results in an automatic ban.
Defence solicitor Robert Cruickshank stated that his client had been bringing up his two children alone since the death of his partner six years ago.
Mr Cruickshank said: "He was struggling a little."
The lawyer added that his client had taken advantage of the children being away that day to go out, but had been driving home again when he'd been stopped.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood handed down a 12-month driving ban.
In addition, he ordered Minnican, of Croft Road, Elgin, to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community within the next six months.
However the sheriff decided against imposing a fine as well.
Talking directly to the defendant, he said: "I see no reason why your children should suffer for your stupidity."
