A BOOZED-up driver got behind the wheel of his car after an all-day bender following a funeral and was charged with smashing into two parked cars and narrowly missing a pedestrian on a pavement in Greenock.

William Kelly - who was more than four times the limit when police breathalysed him - had those allegations dropped by prosecutors, despite officers finding collision damage to his Nissan Qashqai.

Kelly, 53, was convicted on one charge only, that of drunk-driving, and could be back on the roads in as little as nine months after a sheriff allowed him dispensation to take part in a drink-drivers' rehabilitation course.

The first offender, of Riverside Road in Greenock - who also had a not guilty plea to dangerous driving accepted by the Crown - was said in court to have 'taken a chance' by driving after consuming so much drink.

Sheriff Clair McLachlan told him that he was lucky not to have caused serious injury to members of the public.

Kelly, who works as a street sweeper, pleaded guilty to driving in Greenock when the proportion of booze in his breath was 91mcg per 100ml of breath - well over the legal limit of 22mcg.

Prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to a total of five charges alleging that he drove dangerously, swerved across a road onto an opposing carriageway, mounted a pavement narrowly missing a pedestrian and collided with and damaged two parked cars.

It was also alleged that he failed to stop and provide his details after crashing into a Toyota Auris and a Toyota Yaris, while it was claimed he failed to report the accidents to police.

A sentencing hearing at Greenock Sheriff Court was told that police received a report regarding concern over the manner in which a vehicle was being driven at around 11pm on April 21 last year.

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Officers attended Kelly's home address after checks revealed him to be the registered keeper of the car, and they noted damage to the vehicle and that the bonnet was warm.

Kelly was said to have been noticeably intoxicated as his speech was slurred, he was stumbling and he smelled strongly of alcohol.

A procurator fiscal depute said Kelly told police he was at a funeral and had been consuming alcohol throughout the day.

His solicitor, Amy Spencer, told the court: "He is 53 and has never appeared in court before in his whole life. His licence is completely clean.

"He had been at a funeral in Paisley, he appreciated that he should not have driven but he took a chance.

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"Fortunately he or anybody else was not injured.

"He was not in the best mental state following the funeral of a friend who passed away.

"This is out of character amidst an unfortunate set of circumstances."

Sheriff Clair McLachlan told Kelly: "I will treat this as being out of character on your part.

"This is an extremely high reading and you are fortunate you did not injure yourself or others."

Kelly was disqualified for a year, reduced from 15 months due to his guilty plea. The ban will be shortened by three months if he completes a drink driver rehabilitation scheme.

He was also fined £395.