Banknock drink driver smashed through garden wall outside house and damaged resident's vehicle

Richard Clayton, 46, had been out celebrating a birthday and thought he was “fit to get behind the wheel” after drinking a number of beers during the course of the evening.

He ended up sitting near the damaged wall he had just driven through, waiting for an ambulance to take him to hospital.

It was his fourth drink driving offence.

Clayton appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted drink driving on Denny Road, Dennyloanhead, on February 24. He gave a reading of 120 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood when the legal limit is 50 milligrams.

Rachel Hill, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was 10.25pm and the witnesses were in their home address when they heard a loud crashing noise from outside. They saw a damaged vehicle parked in their garden – it had crashed through a stone wall, destroying the wall and then damagiing the witness’s vehicle.

“The accused was in the driver’s seat. They got him out and sat him on the wall and then called police and an ambulance.”

Clayton was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital for treatment.

The court heard he had three previous convictions for drink driving in the space of year, around 15 years ago.

It was stated Clayton, 96 Hazel Road, Banknock, had been out with friends to celebrate a birthday and was said to have consumed “a number of beers” during the night. He believed he was “fit to get behind the wheel” but “quite obviously” he was not and was in fact over twice the legal limit.

Clayton’s £2500 car was a total write off and he was still paying for it.

Sheriff Christopher Shead noted this was Clayton’s fourth drink driving offence – and that his previous three were committed some time ago. He placed him on a community payback order with the condition he complete 200 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.

He also banned Clayton from driving for four years.