FOOTBALLER Iain Campbell was involved in a road crash when more than three times over the limit.

Campbell, 33, left his vehicle after the accident but was found nearby by police and told them he had drunk six or seven pints of lager.

A court heard that Campbell was feeling suicidal at the time after struggling with a string of personal problems and mental health issues.

Campbell currently plays for Montrose and has had spells with Dunfermline, Kilmarnock, Ross County, Alloa and Cowdenbeath. He is the son of football manager Dick Campbell.

Iain Campbell, of Paxton Crescent, Lochgelly, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on February 10, on the A909 between Burntisland and Cowdenbeath, he drove a car after consuming excess alcohol. His reading was 76 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 22 microgrammes.

Depute fiscal Alistair McDermid said that at around 7.30pm, Campbell was driving on the A909 when he crashed.

Members of the public passing the scene of the accident contacted the police. Officers attended and found that the driver had left but he was found nearby.

Campbell told them: “It’s me you’re looking for. I’m the driver.”

There was a smell of alcohol from him and he said he had consumed “six or seven pints of Tennent’s lager”.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said: “He was going through a difficult period. He had lost his job with the family business and was having financial difficulties.

“He’d also been asked to leave the family home and was sleeping at the home of friends in spare rooms or sofas.

“He was experiencing mental health issues and suicidal ideation. He’s embarrassed about what happened. He himself describes the incident as being ‘shocking’ and ‘terrible’.”

Mr Morrison said that his client had a previous “significant attempt to take his own life”.

The court heard that Campbell, who previously worked with the family’s recruitment agency, had a previous drink-drive conviction from 2014.

Sheriff Alison Mackay told Campbell: “It’s fortunate there were no particularly serious consequences.”

She imposed a community payback order with 160 hours of unpaid work and a three-year driving ban.