A CARDROSS man was found to be nearly eight times the drink-drive limit after a late-night drinking session.

But Charles Craven was spared a prison sentence this week after a court heard he had no previous convictions.

Craven, 39, failed a roadside breath test after he was stopped behind the wheel of a car on the A814 between Helensburgh and Cardross.

And when he supplied a further breath sample at Clydebank police station, the machine recorded a reading of 174 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – against a legal limit of just 22 microgrammes.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard another vehicle driver in Cardross had stopped behind a bus at 11.20am on August 12 when the car Craven was driving behind collided with it.

Fiscal depute Scott Simpson told Tuesday's court hearing: “The accused, instead of remaining there, moved round, overtook the witness's vehicle and followed the bus as it moved off.

“Police were contacted, and the accused then stopped at a red light, where the witness got out of his car to speak to the accused.

“Police spoke to the accused and had concerns about his fitness to drive – his speech was slurred and his eyes watering.

“There was no indication of any explanation having been given to the police as to why he was driving and why he thought he was fit to be driving.”

Craven, of Kilmahew Grove, had pleaded guilty at a hearing on September 20 to drink-driving, driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop after an accident.

Craven's solicitor, Brian McGuire, acknowledged the very high reading and admitted it was “a very serious matter”.

“He was working very late the night before,” Mr McGuire said, “and his drinking started at the time others might be stopping.

“His focus that morning was on going to work, which was absolute folly on his part.

“He seems to have led a sensible life. He has never been in trouble before.

“It can never be said that a matter of this nature is a good thing, but it may have had the benefit of bringing him to his senses.”

Mr McGuire also said Craven had been engaging with addiction rehabilitation services since the incident.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry had to leave the bench for a short period to consider whether to send Craven to prison as a first offender and how long to disqualify him from driving.

When the sheriff returned, he told Craven: “It is only with some hesitation that I have decided prison can be avoided.

“This was an appalling level of alcohol. You should have been nowhere near a car for 24 hours after you stopped drinking.

“Anything – literally anything – could have happened. You could have killed somebody. It's as simple as that, and that's why I've had to think about prison.”

Craven was placed on supervision until April 2018 and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work – reduced from 270 hours because of his early guilty plea.

He was also banned from driving for 40 months.

However, he was also given the opportunity to reduce that ban by a further five months, subject to his successful completion of a drink-driving rehabilitation scheme.

On the other two charges, he was admonished and his licence endorsed.

“If there is ever, in the remainder of your life, a similar offence,” the sheriff added, “I would expect that you would go to prison.”