A man who was previously convicted for driving under the influence of drink or drugs will now carry out unpaid work for breaching his Community Payback Order.

James Mackie of McCormack Gardens in Stranraer was originally caught in Girvan for the driving offences at Coal Pots Road. He was charged for drinking under the influence and being in possession of cannabis.

The 38-year-old appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court from custody last Tuesday, September 13 where he had spent the last four weeks.

Sheriff Mhari MacTaggart warned that Mackie very narrowly avoided prison for his failure to comply with his previous Community Payback Order. She said: "When I was looking at this case earlier, one thing that occurred to me was that this should be a simple case to deal with.

"You are on the cusp on a significant custodial sentence. I am keeping an eye on you. You need to knuckle down."

Mackie's solicitor told the court that his client had benefitted from a short spell in prison where he was able to detox and prepare himself for any kind of new order that the court could grant him in lieu of prison. He said Mackie will be willing to engage in any unpaid work and be committed to serving this.

Mackie was ordered to 200 hours unpaid work. He is also disqualified from obtaining a driving license for three years.