Window cleaner who took heroin receives threeyear drive ban

A WINDOW cleaner who was caught driving his van while under the influence of heroin has been disqualified from driving for three years.

Graham Leith, 35, from Seaside Park, Ardishaig, was arrested on March 16 this year, after police spotted him sitting behind the wheel of his parked vehicle in a layby on the A816, with his engine running.

Oban sheriff court heard on Tuesday, September 15, that when the police officers drove alongside Leith to speak to him, they described him as appearing ‘extremely pale, shaking uncontrollably, and his pupils were dilated’

They also said they could smell burnt heroin from inside the car.

After searching the vehicle, the police officers found tin foil on the dashboard, which had been used to smoke the drug, as well as wrap of 0.3g of heroin, with a street value of around £20.

After being taken to Oban police station, he tested negative for alcohol, but a police doctor confirmed that Leith was under the influence of drugs, and certified him unfit to drive.

Defending Leith, solicitor Laura McManus said that Leith had started using heroin again at the time due to the break-up of a relationship, but has since managed to break the habit.

Ms McManus added that the incident had resulted in his window cleaning licence being revoked, and he was now unemployed as a consequence of his taking heroin.

Disqualifying Leith for driving for three years and fining him £ 300, Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC told the convicted man: ‘I’m surprised you didn’t fall off your ladder. You were jolly lucky.’