A DRUG driver who was caught behind the wheel while more than 11 times the cocaine limit has been banned from the roads for a year and a half.

Serial offender Patrick Reid, who has convictions dating back to 1984, was sentenced for the offence last week and was also punished for breaching bail and threatening staff at a Greenock bookmaker's shop.

The 58-year-old provided a saliva sample to police on April 1, 2022 as part of a DrugWipe test which returned a reading of 556mcg of benzoylecgonine - the main metabolite of cocaine - per litre of blood; the legal limit is 50mcg/litre.

Officers had stopped Reid in his Ford Focus car on West Woodside Avenue in Port Glasgow and initially noted a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle, the court heard.

More than a year later, Reid came to the attention of the authorities again after confronting employees at a bookmaker's shop he was banned from on West Blackhall Street.

A prosecutor told the court: "Around 6pm on December 21, 2023, two female witnesses were within Ladbrokes working as sales assistants when the accused entered and approached the counter.

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"The workers advised Reid that he was barred from the premises and asked him to leave.

"He refused and acted in an aggressive manner as the witnesses continued to ask him to leave.

"They pushed a panic alarm for help from security.

"Staff were able to get the accused to leave the store and the doors were blocked.

"He began to bang on the doors and windows."

Reid also flouted bail conditions a week after they were imposed in July 2023 when he was found in the company of his then-partner lying under a bed having been told to stay away from her and her address.

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He ignored the court order again in January this year - and on that occasion, officers discovered him hiding behind a bedroom door in the woman's property.

Defending, Aidan Gallagher said his client is set to become a great-grandfather and it would be expected that he would 'perhaps start to show to show some maturity in his behaviour'.

The lawyer added: "The difficulty is his alcohol consumption has increased in recent times.

"That is no attempt to excuse his behaviour.

"[At Ladbrokes] he was drunk and he was a nuisance, at the time he couldn't appreciate that."

Mr Gallagher said Reid 'quite clearly had difficulty with cocaine' at the time of the driving offence and 'quite clearly needs help'.

Reid, of Woodhall Terrace, was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £285, payable at a rate of £20 per month.

Sheriff James Varney also imposed a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody and Reid will be supervised for 18 months with a requirement to attend alcohol treatment.