A LOCHGELLY man was caught drink-driving when almost five times over the limit.

Stuart Gay said he had left the house after an argument with his wife to “calm the situation down”.

However, it is not his first conviction for drink-driving.

Gay, 46, of Jenny Gray Place, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.

He admitted that on September 20 on the B9149 at Lochgelly and elsewhere, he drove car having consumed excess alcohol.

His reading was 106 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 22 microgrammes.

Depute fiscal Catherine Stevenson said at around 4pm a police officer in an unmarked car became concerned about the nature of Gay’s driving and contacted colleagues.

He was stopped and officers could detect a strong smell of alcohol from his vehicle.

Defence solicitor Elaine Buist said her client had become involved in an argument with his estranged wife and left the house “to calm the situation down”.

Sheriff Krista Johnston said: “His record’s not good for this kind of offending.”

The sheriff imposed a community payback order with a year’s supervision and 100 hours of unpaid work. Gay was banned from driving for two years.