TWO drug impaired men who thought they'd been trying to push a car from a field for 12 hours when it had actually been only 30 minutes 'didn't know whether it was New Year or New York', Greenock Sheriff Court has heard.
Liam Reid and a pal were spotted by police as they attempted to move the vehicle from land adjacent to the town's Kenilworth Crescent shortly after six o'clock in the morning.
The 22-year-old was found by the officers to be in possession of nearly £1,000 worth of the Class A drug ecstasy, which he later claimed did not belong to him.
However, Reid pleaded guilty to having the tablets with intent to supply them to another or others following his arrest on the matter on March 10.
Prosecutor Emma Jeffrey told the court: "Liam Reid and another male came to the attention of police at 6.20am.
"The two of them were trying to get a vehicle moving.
"Police approached them, and following that the officers suspected that they may be in possession of drugs.
"They were both detained by the police and Liam Reid was found to be in possession of 95 ecstasy tablets with a potential value of £950."
Defence lawyer David Tod said: "Police were aware that the car had been there for half-an-hour, but when they asked Mr Reid and his companion how long they had been there, they answered that they thought it was 12 hours — which reflects the state they were in.
"The situation when they were arrested was that they didn't know if it was New Year or New York."
Mr Tod said that a pre-sentencing background report on Reid accurately reflected his position that the ecstasy was not his.
The solicitor added: "He is not normally in contact with that amount of drugs and he would have returned them to whomever gave them to him.
"He and the other individual were beside a car in the middle of a field.
"Mr Reid is a young man who could choose his company better."
Mr Tod said that his client had found the matter to have been a 'salutary experience'.
Sheriff Eric Brown placed Reid, of Maple Road in Greenock, under supervision for 18 months.
The sheriff admonished him on a separate charge of being in possession of £20 worth of cocaine.
A review hearing is due to take place on January 23.