A KILBIRNIE man has been banned from driving for three years after he was found double the drink drive limit.

Colin Mathieson, 38, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week where he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence.

The court heard how that on Saturday, December 17 around 1am a Vauxhall Astra was seen travelling at speed and was noticed on CCTV and by a number of people in the street.

The car entered a roundabout on Main Street and was unable to stop and hit a kerb before crashing.

Police heard the noise of the crash and when they attended they found the accused outside of the car, the court heard that he was in a state of shock but it didn’t look like he had any injuries at the time.

A roadside breath test was carried out and the result was positive and then he was taken to Crosshouse Hospital for treatment for a bump on the head. This turned out to a be a fracture to his skull and he spent 24 hours in hospital. Whilst there, two samples of blood were taken and the lower reading showed 109mg per 100ml of blood when the legal limit is 50mg per 100ml.

Chambers, defending, said that there was black ice on the road at the time and following negotiations with the Crown, a not guilty plea for the other charge was he faced was acceptable.

He said the reason for his client driving was that a friend of Mathieson’s had called from Glasgow to say he was in trouble and that he was worried and drove up to collect him.

Chambers said that his client appreciated that he was over the limit and he asked for leniency as it was nine years since his last conviction of an analogous nature.

He intimated to the court that Mathieson hadn’t been in work due to an industrial accident but that he was hopeful to resume employment.

Sheriff Iona McDonald banned Mathieson for the minimum period of three years and fined him £310.