NEWSPost India

A Labour MP who launched an extraordinary attack on middle class voters was today convicted of refusing to provide a breath sample to a police officer. Eric Joyce was banned from driving and now has a criminal record after he was arrested by police and spent last night in the cells. He refused to take a breath test after he was spoken to by officers in Grangemouth, Falkirk, and today appeared in court handcuffed to a burly custody officer.

The 50-year-old launched an extraordinary rant at voters just three days ago in an article in which he branded them liars, racists, drunkards and even paedophiles. However, he has now resigned as Labour’s Northern Ireland spokesman saying he had been ‘incredibly stupid’. Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court today, he admitted failing to provide a breath sample and was banned from driving. Kirsty Anderson, prosecuting, said guards on duty at the Ineos plant in Bo’ness Road, Grangemouth called police after the MP - a former Army major - approached the gatehouse about 11.15 pm.

Miss Anderson said moments before, one of the guards had heard ‘what sounded like heavy metal rubbing very loudly’. She then saw a nine-year old silver Rover 75 estate ‘slowly moving along the road’. The depute fiscal said: ‘The car came to a stop directly outside Gate No. 6 at the plant, and the accused got out and approached the gatehouse. ‘He was spoken to by the security officer, and immediately alcohol was smelt on his breath.’ The MP told the guard, ‘I think I hit something, maybe that roundabout back there’, and pointed in the direction of Grangemouth town centre.

He added: ‘I’ll have to call somebody - maybe the RAC.’ Miss Anderson said: ‘The security officer was of the opinion that he was either confused, or under the influence of alcohol, and the police were contacted.’ The guard’s supervisor saw there was damage to the Rover’s front nearside wheel, and asked Joyce what had happened. Miss Anderson said: ‘He said that he had no idea what he had hit - but he knew he had hit something. ‘He appeared to be disorientated, and the supervisor formed the view that he wasn’t compus mentis.’

When police arrived, they found the MP standing by his car, speaking on his mobile. He was arrested and taken to Falkirk police station. He told police he was tired, had been ‘up the previous night’, and had just flown up from London. Asked whether he had been drinking, he said: ‘I had one of those bottles of wine on the plane, but not excessive.’ He refused to give a breath sample, saying he wanted to speak to a solicitor first. He was charged with failing to give a sample without reasonable excuse, and held overnight before appearing in court this afternoon.

Joyce, who gave his address as Fortuna Court, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, appeared in the dock tieless, in a blue suit and open-necked pink shirt, and looked unshaven. His pleas of not guilty were accepted by the Crown to two further charges - driving carelessly and at excessive speed on Bo’ness Road, Grangemouth, causing an oncoming car to swerve out of his way, and colliding with and damaging a roundabout road sign; and failing to take a preliminary roadside breath test when required to do so by a police officer who ‘reasonably suspected’ he had been drink-driving. He was represented from the public purse by duty solicitor Willie McIntyre - avoiding the expense of instructing a solicitor privately.

Mr McIntyre said Joyce, who earns £66,000 a year as an MP, had been returning to Falkirk for a hospital appointment about a matter that was ‘causing him concern’ - and which he had missed as a result his arrest. The lawyer added: ‘He says he had one of those small glasses of wine on the plane. ‘He was tired. He has no recollection other that that he hit something, and immediately pulled over. ‘It is not his recollection that he was non compus mentis. ‘He is embarrassed. He has spent a night in the cells. The inevitable loss of his licence will be of great inconvenience to him, as is the publicity, and his party is not going to be at all happy about what happened.

‘He apologises to all concerned.’ Sheriff William Gallacher banned Joyce from driving for a year, and fined him £400 - reduced from £600 in view of his immediate guilty plea. The sheriff told him: ‘You brought this situation on yourself.’ Joyce replied: ‘Thank you, your Lordship.’ Security staff at the court then allowed Joyce to leave by a back door - to avoid photographers waiting outside. Mr Joyce resigned from his front bench post and said: ‘I am deeply ashamed of my actions which were unacceptable and inexcusable. ‘I have been incredibly stupid and rightly suffered the penalty for it. ‘I want to apologise unreservedly to those I have let down.’

A Labour Party spokesman confirmed that Leader Ed Miliband had accepted Mr Joyce’s resignation. He said: ‘Following Eric Joyce’s guilty plea, Ed Miliband has accepted his resignation from the opposition front bench. ‘A replacement for the Northern Ireland Office frontbench team will be appointed in due course.’ Earlier this week an article by the MP was published on a party website decrying the scrutiny of MPs. In it, Mr Joyce said: ‘Here’s the truth. It’s hard to lie as a politician because everything we say is subject to enormous scrutiny. ‘But politicians know the lies a lot of people live and they pitch to you accordingly.

‘There’s a lot of lying going on, for sure. But [critics] might want to reflect on who is really doing the lying.’ The Falkirk MP said the middle classes ‘hunt for the best deal they can get for those they love’ and then ‘avert their eyes from the reality that if they win some others will lose’ and ‘put together ropey arguments whose main function is to mitigate their guilt’.