Dalgety Bay: Teenage drug-driver left "path of destruction"

Jason Ward was unfit to drive at the time and had cocaine in his possession at the time of the crash. It was his second drug-driving offence in under a month.

Ward had previously been caught driving in Dunfermline when more than 12 times over the limit for cocaine.

Ward, 19, of Inchview Gardens, Dalgety Bay, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on April 1 last year at Halbeath Road, Dunfermline, he drove with excess drugs. The proportion of benzoylecgonine per litre of his blood was 644 microgrammes. The legal limit is 50 microgrammes.

He also admitted that on April 30 last year at Bouprie Rise, Dalgety Bay, he drove a car dangerously, failed to keep the vehicle under control and travelled in the face of obvious and potential dangers at grossly excessive speeds.

He drove on to a pavement, collided with road works barriers, left the road whereby the car became airborne. He collided with and damaged another vehicle, drove on to another pavement, collided with bushes and a garden wall, damaging them.

He also admitted he drove when unfit through drink or drugs and was in possession of cocaine.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said the first incident involved Ward being stopped by police at 8.40am. He was described as being “agitated” and failed a drug test.

The second offence occurred at 5.10am when Ward’s car left the road “became airborne and flew through a garden”. The car came out the other side of the garden and crashed into another vehicle. The incident was captured on CCTV.

Residents in the area were disturbed by the noise and came out to see “the path of destruction left behind”, added the depute.

Defence solicitor Aime Allan said: “This has been a wake-up call for him. Drugs misuse is no longer an issue for him.”

Sheriff Francis Gill banned Ward from driving for 32 months. He also imposed a community payback order with 200 hours of unpaid work and a two-month restriction of liberty order.