A BANNED driver was caught drunk behind the wheel after police spotted a half-empty bottle of orange gin on the seat beside him.

Gavin Murphy was fined and ordered to do unpaid work when he appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week.

The 44-year-old was sentenced on November 2 after pleading guilty to being drunk while in charge of a vehicle while disqualified.

Fiscal depute Heather Galbraith told the hearing that at 6pm on July 1, 2020, Murphy started drinking with his partner at a property in Graham Road, Dumbarton after being out all day.

At 1am Murphy was heavily under the influence of alcohol when the couple started arguing.

His partner went to a neighbour’s house and phoned police. She saw Murphy leave the property and walk up and down the street before eventually getting into his car parked outside.

Police attended the vehicle and saw that the engine was off and the car key was in Murphy’s hand.

They noticed a strong smell of alcohol, observed that his words were slurred and saw a half-empty bottle of orange gin in the passenger seat.

Meanwhile, his partner re-entered the property and noticed that the television had a large crack in it.

Murphy failed a roadside breath test and was taken to Clydebank police station where he refused to provide two breath samples and stated: “I wasn’t driving.”

Anthony Boland, defending, said: “He fully accepts responsibility. He sat in the vehicle to try to work out how to get himself home.

Sheriff David Hall handed Murphy, now of Creag Ghlas, Lochgilphead, a community payback order with two years of social work supervision and ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Murphy was fined £250 for the damage to the TV and banned from driving for a further 18 months.

The sheriff also imposed a one-year non-harassment order banning Murphy from approaching or contacting his partner for one year.