An engineering manager from Tullibody who got behind the wheel while five times the drink driving limit was stopped by a member of the public who pulled his keys out of the ignition.
Joseph Kennedy, 29, a quality manager at a Fife engineering firm, was seen “staggering” out of a nightspot in Alloa and getting into a Nissan Micra in a nearby carpark.
Prosecutor Susannah Hutchison told Alloa Sheriff Court the passerby “continued to watch the drunk man” who then reversed out of a parking space.
The depute fiscal said: “This was with gears crunching and excessive revving of the engine.
“The vehicle then attempted to leave the car park narrowly missing a wall.”
She said the passer-by managed to open the door of the car and remove the keys from the ignition.
Police were called and Kennedy was arrested.
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He provided a sample of breath that proved on analysis to contain 103 microgrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres.
The reading was nearly five times the legal limit.
Kennedy pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
The incident happened at 2.30am on September 4, this year.
Solicitor Joe MacPherson, defending, said: “Mr Kennedy is perfectly well aware he could have killed someone.”
He added: “He had too much to drink.
“He was out drinking alone that night.
“He hadn’t planned to drive.
“He doesn’t seek to excuse what happened.”
Mr MacPherson said as a result of losing his licence, Kennedy would now have to move to Fife to be closer to his workplace.
Sheriff Neil Bowie banned Kennedy, a first offender, from driving for 20 months.
He also fined him £1390, and ordered him to resit his test before ever getting back behind the wheel.
He said: “The level of alcohol in your system was significant.
“A member of the public very properly intervened and stopped you getting very far.”
