A YOUNG man has been given one final chance to turn his life around.

On Thursday at Alloa Sheriff Court, Charles Emlay admitted a number of offences.

Fiscal depute Adrian Fraser told the court the 20-year-old was arrested after driving a car with no insurance between Woodburn Drive and Auld Brig Road in Alloa on May 22 this year.

Emlay was picked up by police after striking a kerb at a roundabout and stopping on the island. When breathalysed, he was found to have 43 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – exceeding the 22mg limit.

Emlay also admitted destroying property belonging to another person at an address in Alloa’s Woodburn Drive on June 10 this year.

Mr Fraser claimed that the accused turned up to the house under the influence of alcohol.

He became worked up and upset following an argument to which he then struck photographs, slashed a couch and punctured a TV screen with a sharp implement. The cost of the damage was estimated to be around £1,500.

The following day, on June 11, Emlay was caught with a knife in his possession on Alloa’s Drysdale Street.

Mr Fraser stated that the accused had called the police at around 1.20am, claiming he had been assaulted. When officers arrived at the scene someone shouted that the accused had a knife.

He was searched and the blade was found in his pocket.

Emlay explained: “I was assaulted. I found the knife for my protection.”

The accused also admitted breaking a curfew by being outwith his bail address on July 3 this year.

Emlay should have been at home between the hours of 8pm and 6am, but was instead at The Bank in Bank Street, Alloa.

Defending, Claire McCarron highlighted her client’s “extremely positive” Criminal Justice Social Work report.

Ms McCarron stated that Emlay had been fostered when younger; however, when he was 19 he was told he couldn’t stay there any more due to financial restrictions.

Emlay has since moved into his own tenancy, in Alloa’s Rose Street, and has made no attempt to minimise what he has done.

The accused was said to have accepted responsibility of his actions and was “embarrassed of his own behaviour”.

Sheriff David Griffiths told Emlay he was a young man with “a lot of potential to live a good life”.

Sheriff Griffiths admonished the accused for breaking his curfew; however, he was disqualified from driving for a year and sentenced to a Community Payback Order with supervision for 18 months and 150 hours of unpaid work to be completed within six months for the other offences.