Coked up spray painter found asleep at the wheel of his car in Camelon

James Nelson, 32, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and possession of class A drug cocaine in Greenpark Road, Camelon on September 3 last year.

A witness was concerned when they found Nelson asleep in a parked car in the road.

Procurator fiscal depute Mandy Jones said: “They chapped the window and there was no response from the accused, who was asleep. The witness tried to speak to him and then removed the keys, in case he tried to drive away, and called the police.

"Officers arrived at 5.30am and saw the accused sleeping the driver’s seat with his seat belt on.”

Police eventually managed to wake Nelson up and he tested positive for cocaine.

The court heard the father-of-three was a spray painter by trade who had difficulty with substance misuse in the past. The offence was said to be a “minor relapse”.

It was stated Nelson regarded what happened as a “real wake up call” and was now back on the “straight and narrow”.

Sheriff Alison Michie said Nelson, 56 Newtown, Bo’ness, posed a danger to himself and other road users driving in the condition he was in.

She placed him on a community payback order with the condition he complete 150 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and banned him from driving for 12 months, back dated to April 24.