Man found four times over drink- drive limit

Police stopped a man who was nearly four times the legal drink- drive limit on South Beach, Troon.

Richard Grant , 57, of Kilmarnock Road, Monkton, appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on Tuesday, February 4.

He admitted driving on South Beach with an alcohol reading of 72 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

The offence happened on December 10 last year.

The court was told that at 2pm reports came through over a possible drunk driver.

Grant was stopped and a breath test was conducted. At the police station he made no reply to being cautioned and charged.

His defence solicitor said: “His position is that he stopped drinking at 2am, had gone to bed, woke up and he accepts that he was probably over the limit.

“And he would have known that but he decided to drive and was stopped by the police.”

Sentence on Grant had been deferred for background reports but his defence solicitor took issue with some of the contents within that report.

He said: “There are some details in the report he does not agree with. He was not trying to minimise his actions, he was anxious to have the matter dealt with and he takes full responsibility.

“No harm was caused but there was the potential for harm and he complied fully when he was stopped. There is a significant problem with alcohol and he accepts that. He attends two support groups- one in South Ayrshire and one in

Glasgow. He goes twice a week. He accepts there’s a real issue and he needs some assistance in place for his alcohol use.”

Grant was banned from the roads for 18 months and he must carry out 80 hours of unpaid work in the community, to be completed within the next six months.

Grant was placed under social work supervision for the next 18 months.