A petrochemicals plant worker assaulted his partner when she tried to stop him driving while "mortal drunk", a court heard today.
Lee McBride, 39, pulled girlfriend Louise McCue off the sofa by the legs in their home in Bo'ness, West Lothian when she tried to stop him getting hold of his BMW keys.
When she began to kick him away he grabbed her with one hand by the neck.
Prosecutor Ann Orr said the pair had been drinking at a friend's house during the course of the afternoon on July 31st (2021) before returning home at 8.00 pm.
Mrs Orr said: "The accused then indicated he wished to go out driving. Miss McCue told him it wasn't a good idea because of the amount of alcohol he had taken and tried to stop him taking the car keys."
"Distressed", Louise managed to break free from McBride's grip and went to a neighbour's with fresh marks on her neck.
The neighbours contacted police, and saw McBride's car was gone from its parking spot.
Police mounted an area search, and McBride was arrested as he pulled back into Little Carriden, Bo'ness, in his BMW 3181 Edition ES.
He failed a breath test, providing a specimen that contained 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millitres - more than four times the legal limit, which is 22.
He said he had consumed a large quantity of alcohol and had no recollection of his movements or actions prior to his arrest.
McBride, a breathing apparatus operator, of Bo'ness, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and domestic assault.
His solicitor, Simon Hutchison, told Falkirk Sheriff Court: "He actually told police he had drunk so much he ended up 'mortal' - which is extremely drunk.
His girlfriend was quite right to try to stop him driving."
Sheriff Eric Brown fined McBride £840 and banned him from driving for 16 months.
He told him: "It's very fortunate that in the course of this journey, however long or short it may have been, that you didn't collide with any other person or any other vehicle."
