A CAR salesman has lost his licence – and probably his job – after he was found to be nearly five times the legal drink drive limit.

William McElwee, drove a vehicle registered to his employer, Arnold Clark, while under the influence, causing him to collide with two oncoming cars and a Costa Coffee sign.

McElwee, 32, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on April 18 for sentencing.

He previously admitted driving westbound on the A82 Great Western Road, in Clydebank on February 23 with 107 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

He further admitted a charge of dangerous driving, cutting across lane one, colliding with an oncoming vehicle, mounting a verge and colliding with an advertising sign before exiting his vehicle, re-entering it, attempting to drive off and colliding with another oncoming car, causing damage to it.

Scott Simpson, the fiscal depute, said the accused was driving the car across lanes and he crashed into another driver’s vehicle.

The accused continued but then collided with a Costa Coffee sign and came to a stop.

Witnesses were concerned about what had happened, they contacted police who noted the damage in the garage forecourt.

“He was seen by other witnesses returning to the carriageway and colliding with another driver’s vehicle,” said Mr Simpson.

McElwee, of Northfield Avenue, Port Glasgow, was later traced at 7.22pm and police detected that the accused was unfit to drive.

McElwee’s defence solicitor told the court in mitigation that he was under a lot of “stress” at work and had hit “rock bottom”.

He continued: “He wishes to express his extreme remorse and is ashamed of his actions.

“He was under a lot of stress but he wishes the court to know that this was in no way a purposeful act.

“He went to the pub after work and consumed an amount of alcohol. He was at rock bottom and that led to him behaving in this manner.”

Sheriff William Gallacher said: “He caused mayhem, then caused further mayhem.”

The court was told how McElwee is currently suspended from his job – and expects to lose his job following the offence.

Sheriff Gallacher told McElwee: “You were not in control of your vehicle and it’s only good fortune that nobody was harmed.

“But this was a very deliberate decision and I gave consideration to giving you a custodial sentence but I am persuaded that there is an option to that.”

Sheriff Gallacher placed McElwee on a community payback order which requires him to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work within the next nine months. McElwee will also be placed under supervision for the next year.

In addition he was banned from the roads for a total of 22 months and must resit a competence to drive test in order to regain his licence.