A teenager who was caught driving after taking Xanax has been banned from the road for a year.
Andrew Farquhar, 18, was seen swerving across the road and almost driving into oncoming traffic by witnesses who followed him on the city’s Queen’s Road and contacted the police.
At one point the teen, who was also ordered to carry out unpaid work, bumped into the pavement – and when quizzed by those who followed him, he admitted he’d taken the drug.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “The witnesses became concerned about the vehicle as they saw it swerving across the road and bumping into the pavement.
“Witnesses saw it veering into the oncoming lane before managing to correct itself and avoid a collision.”
At this point the witnesses contacted police.
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Ms Simpson said: “They continued to follow the vehicle and saw it thereafter come to a stop within the filling station at Endeavour Drive in Westhill.
“Witnesses observed the accused in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
“They noticed he was pale in appearance, slurring his words and slow to respond when they spoke to him.”
Farquhar was advised police had been called and asked if he was on anything and “admitted he had been on Xan, which the witness took to mean Xanax”.
She added: “He disclosed he had been out in his friend’s car during the night, he’d taken two Xanax during this time, he’d then been dropped off at his own car and decided to drive home.
“He was examined by a doctor who determined he was unfit to drive.”
The incident happened on March 9.
Farquhar, of Whitehaugh, Alford, previously pled guilty to driving while unfit to do so through drink or drugs.
Defence agent Neil McRobert said: “It is accepted Mr Farquhar had consumed substances the night before and the substances were still in his system when he was driving the vehicle.
“He never came to terms with or addressed the death of his father at 13. He started to use substances to cope with the situation.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller said it was a “serious matter” and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and gave him a nine-month supervision order on top of his driving ban.
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