Wednesday 1 July 2026
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Driver caught 13 times over cocaine limit after stag do

THE AFTERMATH of a stag party saw a Lerwick man caught driving while 13 times over the legal limit for cocaine.

Joshua Miller, from Ladies Drive, admitted having 130 microgrammes of the class A drug per litre of blood when stopped by police on 16 November at NorthLink ferry terminal.

Miller also was 16 times over the limit for benzoylecgonine, the major metabolite of cocaine, when police officers stopped him in a simple car insurance check.

Officers suspected that the 36-year-old was under the influence after stopping him, and after he failed a roadside drug test he was arrested and taken to the police station.

With the legal limit for cocaine in the blood system 10 microgrammes per litre, Miller was 13 times the limit when arrested.

Defence agent Tommy Allan told Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday that Miller worked offshore most of the time, but was in the isles for a stag do that weekend.

Miller thought he would not be under the influence when he drove down to the ferry, but that “turned out not to be the case”, Allan added.

Sheriff Robert Frazer said the reading was “clearly a high one”, and decided to impose a lengthy ban and heavy fine.

Miller was banned from driving for 16 months and ordered to pay a fine of £1,600 in relation to his cocaine charge.

He was admonished and his licence endorsed for the benzoylecgonine reading.

If you have been affected by crime, help is available. Whether you are victim, a witness, or the accused, you can find independent, impartial, and confidential support in Shetland.

For victims of general crime:

For anyone affected by crime & harm seeking a restorative approach:

For anyone affected by gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, sexual assault, and rape:

Shetland Women’s Aid

Phone: 01595 692070
Web: https://www.shetlandwa.org
Email: office@shetlandwa.org

The Compass Centre (Shetland Rape Crisis)

Phone: 01595 744402 or 08088 010302
Web: https://www.compasscentre.org
Email: contact@compasscentre.org

For anyone affected by substance use:

Shetland Recovery Hub and Community Network

Phone: 01595 744402
Web: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075791869200
Email: recoveryhub@shetland.gov.uk

Shetland Alcohol & Drug Partnership

Phone: 01595 743060 or 07342 077789
Web: https://shetlandadp.org.uk
Email: shet.sadp@nhs.scot

Substance Use Recovery Service

Phone: 01595 743006

 
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