A WINDOW cleaner lost his job after he was caught behind the wheel on Christmas Day whilst disqualified.

Robbie Coyle also had his wages docked after his work's van was impounded following his arrest.

Fiscal depute Clara Smeaton told Glasgow Sheriff Court that officers were on mobile patrol when they had reason to stop a white Renault van.

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The driver was identified as the 26-year-old accused. After a police check it was discovered that Coyle had been banned the previous month for driving with 26 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 22mg. It was also confirmed he was not insured to drive the motor.

The accused was transported to the city centre police station, but was not charged at the time due to his hostility.

Coyle later pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified and without insurance along Saracen Street in Possilpark on December 25, 2017.

In defence it was explained that he intentionally withheld the drink-driving conviction from his employer in fear of losing his job. When the accused's lawyer stated that Coyle agreed to drive over the Christmas period, Sheriff Norman Ritchie noted that the defendant must have got behind the wheel on several occasions in addition to the day he was caught.

His agent said: "He failed to grasp the seriousness of breaching an order of this kind."

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Coyle lost his job as a window cleaner due to the offence and had his wages docked to pay for the recovery of the van which was impounded.

His lawyer added: "He's made the next few years rather difficult for himself."

Coyle was sentenced to a Community Payback Order with supervision for 12 months and 40 hours of unpaid work.

He was admonished for driving without insurance, but was banned from the roads for a further three years.

Sheriff Ritchie warned Coyle: "If you breach my order, I'll deal with you and send you to jail."