A PAISLEY lawyer was caught drink-driving by police after being sacked by a client for turning up to do his interview while under the influence of alcohol.

Defence solicitor Manus Tolland, of Gauze Street, went to a police office in May to represent an unnamed client in an interview.

But the client sacked him because he could smell alcohol – and then told police the lawyer had been drinking.

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Tolland, 62, was then stopped by officers as he tried to drive away from the station, with tests showing he was nearly four-times the legal alcohol limit.

The details emerged last week when Tolland appeared in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court to admit a charge of drink-driving.

He pleaded guilty to driving a Ford Focus Zetec in Kilmarnock with 81 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – nearly four times the 22mcg limit – on May 5 this year.

Defence solicitor advocate Simon Brown said Tolland had been so over the limit as he had gone to a party the night before and then drank again at lunchtime.

He added: “The previous evening, he had attended a party with friends that continues into the early hours of the morning and he had consumed a considerable amount of drink.

“On the day of the offence, he had gone for lunch with the same friends and had two pints, finishing around 1.30pm.

“He had gone home and was telephoned by his employer around 5.30pm and was asked to attend an interview at 9pm.

“He thought sufficient time had passed. He clearly miscalculated the lag from the alcohol he’d had the night before.

“This was a genuine miscalculation – it was not a situation where he decided to risk it.”

After pointing out that Tolland has a previous conviction for drink-driving, Sheriff Shirley Foran spared him jail.

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Instead, she fined him £1,000 and banned him from driving for 30 months.

The fine and ban were reduced from £1,200 and 36 months as he admitted his guilt and the ban will be reduced by a further 25 per cent if he completes a drink-driving rehabilitation scheme.