A CREWKERNE woman who downed three glasses of wine before getting behind the wheel and colliding with two parked cars was found to be more than three times over the drink drive limit.

Lauren Elizabeth Pulsford was going through a relationship breakdown and using alcohol as an “emotional crutch” when she went to collect her car from a garage after having some repairs carried out.

On the way back home she drove into a stationary vehicle and when the police were called to the scene they noticed she smelt of alcohol so took her to the police station where she then failed a breath test.

Pulsford, 26, of Kingswood Road, admitted driving a vehicle on Middle Path, Crewkerne, on November 12 after consuming excess alcohol when she appeared before Somerset Magistrates.

Lucy Coleman, prosecuting, said that the defendant was driving her Ford Fiesta at 6.30pm when she collided with two vehicles on Middle Path.

“A witness reported that to the police that an accident had occurred adding that they believed the driver had been drinking,” she said.

“The officer could smell alcohol on her breath and she was taken to Yeovil police station.”

A breath test was conducted which produced a reading of 118mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol.

When Pulsford was interviewed she admitted driving and being involved in the collision and confessed she had been drinking alcohol and had consumed three glasses of white wine during the day.

Defending, Gareth Webb said that at this time Pulsford was going through the breakdown of a relationship, her flat was being repossessed and her car was having some repair work being done.

“Foolishly she walked a mile from her flat to pick up her car but had been drinking. and in the interim, while intoxicated, she made the bad decision to drive,” he said.

Probation officer Mo Lawton said: “Due to the difficulties the defendant was going through she was using alcohol as an emotional crutch and has been receiving help from the Somerset Drugs and Alcohol Service.

“She has now reduced her alcohol consumption significantly and been to a debt recovery firm and has a financial plan in place.”

The magistrates told Pulsford that she had an extremely high reading and disqualified her from driving for 28 months and sentenced her to a 12 month community order with a requirement to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

Costs of £85, a £150 court charge and a £60 victim surcharge were also imposed.