A NIGHT out in North Berwick ended with an East Linton man crashing his car into a wall after driving while three-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit.

Michael Clark, of Braeview, had been enjoying a night out at a pub in the town when he decided to drive home.

But that “lack of judgement” led Clark to losing control of his vehicle at the town’s Heugh Brae and his passenger spending a night in hospital following the incident earlier this year.

Fiscal depute Liz Paton told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that both Clark, 43, and his unnamed passenger had been out drinking all evening in North Berwick.

She said: “Just after midnight the accused decided to drive back home to East Linton and give his friend a lift. He said he was fine [to drive].

“There was a loud smash and the accused was heard to call out for help. The car was subsequently found and the drink-drive procedure was not done until about 6.30am.”

On the condition of Clark’s companion, the fiscal depute added: “The passenger was kept in overnight for observations after suffering bruising to his forehead and ribs.”

Defence agent Angela Craig said her client was unemployed, lived at home with his parents and was a former self-employed gardener.

Ms Craig told the court: “He felt he was fit to drive home, but clearly he wasn’t. The accident happened and Mr Clark took himself to the nearest property to find help. He also waited at the scene of the accident. He does now recognise he had a lack of judgement.”

Sheriff William Taylor banned Clark from driving for 18 months and fined him a total of £750.

Clark admitted driving a vehicle with 77mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Heugh Brae, North Berwick, on April 17 this year. The legal limit is 22mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

He also pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, losing control of the vehicle and crashing into a wall, causing it damage and injury to his passenger, on the same date and location.