AN Ilminster woman who was approached by the police after her car ran out of fuel raised concerns when she smelt of alcohol and then failed a roadside breath test.

Charlene Richardson was nearly three times over the drink drive limit after drinking beer with a friend and then driving home.

During the journey she said she felt drunk so she pulled over and called another friend to come and pick her up, but by the time they arrived she was getting into the back of a police vehicle.

Richardson, 31, of Wharf Lane, pleaded guilty to driving a Peugeot 307 on Bondfield Way in Chard on August 1 after consuming excess alcohol.

She also admitted driving without insurance when she appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

Robert Reid, prosecuting, said that police approached a car parked in Crimchard at 8.50pm and Richardson was sat in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition and her warning lights illuminated.

“They asked what had happened and she said she had run out of fuel but was then detained after the officers could smell alcohol,” he said.

“She failed a roadside breath test and at the police station gave a reading of 101mcg of alcohol in100ml of breath, the legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol. She was also found to be not insured.”

During interview the defendant said that she had left a friend’s house and later stopped as she felt drunk, so just sat there.

She said she had drunk five beers and accepted she shouldn’t have been sat in the car with her keys in the ignition.

Mr Reid also told the court that Richardson had a previous disqualification for drink driving in 2010 leaving her liable for a minimum three year ban.

Defending solicitor Ray Peters said that Richardson had visited a former partner that night following the breakdown of her current relationship.

“While there she drank alcohol and foolishly decided to drive back home but the car ran out of fuel and she phoned for somebody to pick her up,” he said.

“That person arrived just as she was being put into the police vehicle and when questioned by police she admitted she had driven.

“When charged she discovered she was not insured and as she had insufficient money to get the car out of the police compound, it was later crushed.”

He added that the defendant had also lost her job as a chef as she was no longer able to drive there.

The magistrates imposed the minimum three year disqualification and also sentenced Richardson to a community order with a requirement to carry out 100 hours unpaid work. Costs of £40 and an £85 victim surcharge were also imposed.