by Craig Borland

A DRUMRY man who has never held a driving licence got behind the wheel of a car while three times the alcohol limit.

Edward Cairns has been jailed for five months for his “utter disregard” for the rules of the road.

He supplied a breath sample with a reading of 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exactly three times the Scottish limit of 22 microgrammes.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard that Cairns, who has never held a licence in his life, but who nonetheless had several convictions for road traffic offences despite having no licence, gave his neighbour a lift on August 15 last year, even though he had been drinking.

Cairns, 38, of Alsatian Avenue, was stopped by police in Dumbarton Road and charged with drink-driving, driving without a licence, driving without insurance, taking a vehicle without consent and perverting the course of justice by giving a false name to police.

He eventually admitted the first three of those charges – and though his pleas of not guilty to the last two were accepted by prosecutors, they weren’t enough to save him from a prison sentence.

Cairns was sentenced on January 12, when his solicitor attempted to persuade the presiding sheriff not to impose a jail term.

The agent said: “He finds himself in difficult circumstances as a result of his thoroughly unwise behaviour, and he accepts that.

“He doesn’t consider that alcohol is a significant problem in his life but clearly when alcohol is taken he makes rash decisions.

“He requires structure in his life. He has previously been the subject of community orders, which have been quite helpful.

“If he can be trusted to be placed on a community order, there could be a focus to deal with his alcohol issues and offending behaviour.”

But Sheriff William Gallacher replied: “He seems to think the rules don’t apply to him. His neighbour’s struggling to get a taxi and he decides to drive, even though he’s been drinking and he doesn’t have a licence?

“He’s been convicted under road traffic legislation several times. He’s been disqualified more than once. This is an offence committed in breach of an ongoing order which was a direct alternative to custody.”

Cairns’ agent acknowledged that his client was “in the last chance saloon” as far as avoiding custody, but said he was “anxious to deal with matters, get back on track and do things the way people should”.

Sheriff Gallacher told Cairns: “You have an utter disregard for the rules and regulations set in place to govern what people should do, and a particular disregard for road traffic legislation.

“This is the sixth or seventh time you have been convicted for driving despite never having had a licence.

“Your lawyer has pleaded hard that some other option is available, but I do not think anything other than a custodial sentence will have an impact on you, or protect the community.”

Cairns was jailed for five months for drink-driving, admonished on the other two charges and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for 18 months.