Dingwall former social worker caught drug-driving on cocaine outside police station

A former senior social worker who was in charge of the criminal justice substance misuse team has been fined and banned from driving after admitting being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs.

Lynn Millar, of St Andrew's Drive, Dingwall, who now runs her late husband's vehicle recovery business, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to being in charge of a car outside Dingwall Police Station on August 20, 2024.

She had originally been charged with driving the vehicle while having 119mcgs of a cocaine metabolite in her system, when the legal safe limit is 50mcgs.

Fiscal depute Shay Traynor told Sheriff Nigel Cooke that Millar attended the station to speak to someone and was immediately suspected of being under the influence of a substance.

The 59-year-old was arrested and charged after officers reviewed CCTV footage and carried out a positive drugs test.

Defence solicitor John MacColl told the court that his client was a widow and running her late husband's firm.

He added that around the time of the offence, Mrs Millar had lost her husband and her mother and was going through difficult times: "It was causing her significant distress.

"The reading is not the highest I have seen — some have been over 800mgs."

He asked the Sheriff not to endorse her driving licence with the statutory 10 penalty points on her licence as she had points on it currently and it would mean an automatic six month ban under the totting up procedure.

Mr MacColl suggested a short discretionary disqualification to minimise the effect on the business.

Sheriff Cooke banned Millar for 56 days and fined her £400.