AN EX-FIREFIGHTER crashed his car into a roundabout when he was more the five times over the drink-drive limit.

Police arrived at the scene to find sozzled Clive Kerr lying on the ground on his back.

Kerr had previously been in the fire service for 23 years.

Kerr, 46, formerly of The Moorings, Dalgety Bay, and now living in Bridge of Earn, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted that on November 18, in Harbour Drive, Dalgety Bay, he drove a car having consumed excess alcohol.

His reading was 274 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 50 milligrammes.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf previously told the court that, at around 11.30pm, residents in Dalgety Bay heard a loud bang and when they looked outside they saw a BMW fully mounted on a roundabout.

“It had collided with signage on the roundabout and was stuck there. The driver was attempting to drive off but the wheels were spinning.

“He finally managed to drive away and went straight into a bollard.”

A witness went to speak to the driver and found him to be “heavily intoxicated”.

“When police officers arrived, they found the accused lying on his back on the grass. They asked him to get up and saw he was unsteady on his feet,” added Ms Yousaf.

When Kerr returned to court for sentencing, his solicitor, Roshni Joshi, said: “The social work report makes for quite sad reading. He’s a first offender and was previously of respectable character.

“Everything went downhill for him after he had to leave the fire service after 23 years. This was as a result of an injury received in service.

“The police were so concerned for his welfare that night they took him to hospital and he suffered a significant mental breakdown.

“He’s embarrassed to be in court to say the very least.”

The solicitor said her client’s life had now taken a more positive direction and he was working for a company in a management role.

Sheriff Pino di Emidio told Kerr: “I’m taking into account you’re a first offender and this appears to have been the culmination of a very difficult time for you.”

He imposed a fine of £1,200 and banned Kerr from driving for 18 months.