Carronshore drink driver reversed car into house then staggered out holding can of Tennents Lager

John McCourt (51) appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday having pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and drink driving in Ochil Terrace, Carron on March 23.

He gave a reading of 124 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Amy Sneddon, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The incident took place at 9.30pm when witnesses noted a black Jaguar motor car reversing out of the driveway of a house onto the road of Ochil Terrace.

"They saw the vehicle continue reversing into the driveway of another address, straight through a wooden fence in the process and thereafter hit the wall of the house.

"In effect it reversed from one driveway straight across the road into another driveway, through a fence and hit a house. The accused exited the driver’s side of the vehicle.

"He had a can of Tennents Lager in his hand. Calls were made to police who attended and saw the vehicle in the garden of the address, facing towards the road. The accused was there beside the car.

"He said ‘I was driving’ and he provided a specimen of breath which was almost six times over the legal drink driving limit. While he was within the police station the accused made several comments to police.

"He said ‘I’m effed boys – you know it and I know it’ and told them he had been told he couldn’t drive until his medical.”

It was ascertained McCourt did not have a driving licence because it had been revoked on medical grounds.

Defence solicitor Martin Morrow said: “He accepted at the time when he was interviewed by police in fairly clear language and stayed at the scene after the incident.

"His partner had just passed away in bed with him about three weeks before – he had woke up to find her dead in bed. There was obviously a great deal of stress from that and they couldn’t find a cause for the death.

"He lives alone and had tried to cope with this death on his own. He hadn’t been in contact with many friends, but was persuaded to meet with some friends on the night in question.

"They had been discussing his partner. It had all been too much for him and this is the way he reacted. He has been drinking as a way of coping.”

Sheriff Derek Livingston said he did not mind McCourt drinking to cope with his grief, but he did have a problem with him then decision to drink and then drive.

He also noted while there were certain mitigating circumstances, this was McCourt’s third drink driving conviction.

Sheriff Livingston banned McCourt, 10 Mill Court, Carronshore, from driving for four years. He also placed him on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he engage with alcohol counselling and placed him on a restriction of liberty order to stay home between 7pm and 7am for six months.

A forfeiture order was also granted to remove McCourt's £1000 Jaguar.