Drunk driver found slumped over steering wheel at traffice lights on Falkirk Road

William Henry, 24, was found by police officers slumped over his steering wheel looking at his mobile phone. His stationary car, stopped near a set of traffic lights, had no lights on, but the engine was running.

When officers checked on him his speech was slurred and he admitted he had been drinking alcohol.

Henry appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted drink driving on Slamannan Road, Falkirk, on July 9. He gave a reading of 83 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Procurator fiscal depute Rachel Hill said: “It was 2.20am and police officers on mobile patrol saw the accused’s vehicle stationary at traffic lights. The car had no lights on and the accused was slumped over the steering wheel using his mobile phone.

"The engine was still running. Police officers approached to check on his welfare and noticed the accused was slurring his speech. He freely admitted he was under the influence of alcohol and confirmed he was the driver of the vehicle.”

The court heard Henry had a previous drink driving conviction.

Sheriff Alison Michie said: “You accept you have a difficulty with alcohol and five years on you have committed another offence where you were almost four times over the legal limit.

"I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how much danger you placed yourself and other members of the public in when you drove with that amount of alcohol in your system. You now have two drink driving convictions in a relatively short space of time.

"If you come back in future you would be very lucky to escape a prison sentence at that time.”

She placed Henry, 26 Hallglen Terrace, Glen Village, on a supervised community payback order for 19 months with a conduct requirement to attend alcohol counselling.

Sheriff Michie also banned him from driving for three years and ordered him to complete 130 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.