ALLOA Athletic youth player Lee McLelland has been handed a fine and a drinking ban after a boozy night out turned sour.

The teenager had been drinking in Fife with friends but events took a turn for the worse after he took someone’s car without permission and drove while drunk and without insurance.

Alloa Athletic’s Lee McLelland (19) was almost three times over the limit when he was stopped by the police at Spittalfield Road in Inverkeithing.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard that he had been drinking with friends before they headed into Dunfermline to go to a nightclub.

However, he did not have his ID and returned by taxi to Inverkeithing to get it, then took the keys to a car belonging to someone else to drive back to Dunfermline – but was “very quickly” stopped by police.

Fiscal depute Azrah Yousaf said officers had spotted the car around 1.40am, with McLelland “clearly under the influence”.

He was “floundering around trying to open the windows” and then opened the driver’s door and “made off”, before he was apprehended.

McLelland, of Cathay Street in Glasgow, admitted that on 10 May, he took and drove a car without the consent of the owner or lawful authority.

He admitted driving after consuming excess alcohol, with 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath — the legal limit being 22mcg.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of driving unaccompanied as a provisional licence-holder without ‘L’ plates, and without insurance.

Solicitor Alison Laing said McLelland had been with a group of friends who were “significantly older than him and he was out of his depth as far as drinking was concerned”.

She continued: “He’s not a young man who’s been in trouble throughout his life. He was stopped by police very quickly after he drove off from the property.

“He’s very glad that happened because of the risk he might have posed to the public.” Ms Laing said McLelland – on a modern apprenticeship with Alloa Athletic – did community-based work with Glasgow City Council aimed at preventing young people from getting into trouble, and “that’s not lost on him”.

She added that McLelland, a first offender, was “completely devastated by the fact that he’s appearing before the court”.

Sheriff Simon Collins disqualified McLelland for 16 months and fined him £300, saying: “This was a serious offence which could have serious consequences for yourself and other road users.

“You took a car while over the limit and without permission. I take into account that you’re a first offender who pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, your background and positive work record.

“You recognise the serious nature of your offence.”