A Kilwinning man has dodged a jail sentence after admitting to being more than six times over the drink-drive limit while driving in the town.

Barry John Reid, 39, of Pollock Crescent, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court this week where he was disqualified from driving for three years.

Reid drove a car on February 7 at Almswell Road after consuming so much alcohol that he had 145 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath.

The legal limit in Scotland is 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath.

Reid had appeared at the same court last month where he pled guilty to the charge and had his sentence deferred for reports.

Defending Reid this week, solicitor Mr Niall McFadyen said: “The important thing here is that Mr Reid recognises that he has a drink issue and hopefully he is willing to face up to that.”

Mr McFadyen also said that his client lived alone and was on employment support allowance and therefore he did not think that a fine “would be appropriate in this case”.

The solicitor then asked that Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane consider a Restriction of Liberty Order “as a direct alternative to custody”.

Referring to Reid’s background reports, Mr McFadyen said: “It appears that he’s motivated. It’s a serious matter but whether it’s lip service is not unclear.”

Sheriff McFarlane banned Reid from holding or obtaining a driving licence for a period of three years.

She also sentenced him to a Community Payback Order with one year supervision and a Restriction of Liberty Order for three months.