AN AIRPORT worker caught driving massively over the drug limit claimed he just "found" £600 worth of cocaine.
Michael Moore was 13 times the limit for cocaine in his blood when police stopped him in Saltcoats earlier this year.
Officers were on patrol at around 9pm on January 23 on Canal Street. They saw the vehicle come to a stop, the driver get out, then return a short time later.
Officers spoke to him and could smell cannabis, heard Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
The 44-year-old had glazed eyes and dilated pupils. A saliva test came back positive for cocaine.
Moore, of Lochwood Close, Kilwinning, freely admitted the drug was in the vehicle.
Two bags were found and then a third in his trouser pocket. Each weighed about 3.6g and the total value was estimated to be £600.
A blood test at Saltcoats police office found he had 130mg of cocaine per litre of blood. The limit is just 10mg.
He pleaded guilty at his first appearance to driving while under the influence and to possession of the class A drug.
Returning to court on August 3 for sentencing, defence solicitor Graeme Cunningham said his client worked in a warehouse at Prestwick Airport.
Sheriff Colin Bissett asked: "Where does he find all this money to buy cocaine?"
The solicitor said he was also sceptical about some of the answers given to social workers ahead of sentencing.
He said his client had "previous experience of cocaine" and "knew what cocaine tasted like".
"He tells me he has not bought it, he was just fortunate to find it," said Mr Cunningham.
"He took it the day before."
The solicitor said his employers knew about the case and would "deal with it" on the conclusion in court. Although transport to work would be affected, Moore sometimes drove a forklift but it never left the premises.
"The reading is quite high," he accepted. "If you fine him, it's just going to aggravate the situation the family is in."
Sheriff Bissett said the high reading was "alarming" when that person chooses to get behind the wheel.
"It may represent a risk to the public," he said.
Moore was banned from driving for 16 months. He must also do 120 hours of unpaid work in the community within a year.
It is a direct alternative to custody.
