A STUDENT who took his mother’s car on a drunken joyride to a fast food restaurant has been fined and banned.

Callum Duncason, 18, ended up on a grass verge after driving to McDonald’s from Dundonald on July 15.

He admitted taking the Vauxhall without permission while under the influence, without insurance and also possessing cannabis.

He was staying in the area to watch The Open golf championship in Troon.
The car belonged to Duncason’s mother who secured it at her sister’s house in Dundonald Road.

But police on duty saw Duncason, of Albion Street, Wolverhampton, trying to leave the car park in Irvine’s New Street before reversing into a grass verge after being unable to put the car in gear.

Upon stopping and speaking with Duncason, they could smell alcohol and carried out a computer check.

That check revealed he was only a provisional licence holder.
But Duncason insisted to officers that his brother, the only other passenger in the car, held a full licence. This was revealed to be untrue.

Duncason tested 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the limit of 22 microgrammes.

He was taken to Saltcoats Police Office where he was also found with 0.4g of cannabis in his trouser pocket.

Appearing without legal representation, Duncason, a first offender, pleaded guilty to all charges and faced questioning from Sheriff Alistair Watson.

Duncason said: “This is not character defining. It was just a bad mistake, a one off.”

He added that the reason he took the car was “stupidity” and simply took the keys from a side table.

Sheriff Watson said: “Why were you out with the car? Were you going to Tesco or something?”

Duncason said he was going to McDonald’s which prompted Sheriff Watson to quip: “Well it’s going to be the most expensive McDonald’s you’ll ever have.”

The sports management student said the only form of income he has is from a university grant totalling £1,800.

Duncason said the incident had “not gone down very well at all” with his family.

He added: “I’ve never been in trouble before and I don’t plan to again. 
“It’s something I deeply regret.

Sheriff Watson banned Duncason from driving for 18 months and fined him £300.