A POLICE officer is facing the sack after being banned from the road for drink driving.
PC John Stirling, 38, was caught out after crashing into his neighbour's garage while driving home from a drinking session in the pub.
He then lied to his colleagues by claiming he had consumed the alcohol after the crash.
Stirling now faces a fight to save his GBP30,000-a-year job with Lothian and Borders Police after being fined, banned from driving for a year and accused of misleading the courts. The police force confirmed last night that Stirling would be subject to disciplinary action following the court's findings.
A policeman of 10 years, stationed at St Leonard's police station, Stirling was found by fellow officers crashed out in his own house after a drinking session.
He had gone to the pub to watch football and left four hours later when he had a disagreement with his wife and decided to drive his Suzuki Vitara home.
But he was too drunk to control the car and crashed into his neighbour's garage wall as he tried to guide the vehicle into a throughway to his own parking bay at Gilmerton Place, Edinburgh.
Stirling admitted he had been in the Hebrides Bar in the city centre on June 25 to watch two World Cup matches but insisted that he only had five pints of lager shandy, made up of just a quarter of alcohol.
He claimed he had been upset at an argument with his wife Margaret and only lost his concentration when he clipped his neighbour's wall. To calm himself, he poured two glasses of vodka before falling asleep and insisted this accounted for his high alcohol reading.
But his story was rejected at Edinburgh Sheriff Court this week and he was branded dishonest for not admitting the offence.
Sheriff Andrew Lothian fined him GBP750 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Stirling moved from Gilmerton Place in Edinburgh to Coatbridge six weeks ago.
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