A 27-year-old man who was caught driving at four times the drink-drive limit claimed that he had been in an argument “and had to get away”.

John David Drummond drove a car at Ormidale Hotel in Brodick on the Isle of Arran with 200 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit in Scotland is 50 milligrams in 100.

Drummond, of Glen Court in Brodick, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week and pled guilty to one charge. His plea of not guilty to a second charge was accepted by the prosecutor.

The court heard that at around 12.45am on April 23, witnesses were in their camper van on holiday when they heard a car start. They looked outside and saw the driver staggering towards a vehicle before getting into it and driving off. The witnesses contacted police.

When officers traced Drummond he said: “I shouldn’t have been driving but I had an argument and had to get away.” He was cautioned and charged.

Drummond’s defence lawyer Miss Kane emphasised that her client had pled guilty and that she understood his licence was clean.

But Sheriff Iona McDonald said: “Given the level of the reading I’ve got some concerns, it’s four times the limit.”

She added: “Mr Drummond you’re four times the limit then you get into a car staggering. I need to know a wee bit more about your background. I’m going to call for a Criminal Justice Social Work Report.”

Sheriff McDonald also disqualified Drummond from driving and ordained him to return to the court on December 1 for sentencing.