Woman drank bottle of wine before driving car with flat tyre
A woman who drove to her local petrol station with a deflated tyre after drinking a bottle of wine has been banned from the road for two years.
Janet Rimmer, 59, was seen turning into Bradley's Garage in Newtown, Mid Wales, by a police officer who noticed the car being driven erratically.
When he approached her car, he noticed one of the tyres was deflated and waited to speak to Rimmer when she returned from inside the store.
But when she did, he noticed a considerable smell of alcohol on her breath and carried out a breath test.
She failed, but was unable to give a suitable reading at the station, recording one reading of 124 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
But because she was unable to give a second sample at the station due to her intoxication, she was charged with failing to provide a sample.
Rimmer, of Glandwr, Newtown, admitted the charge at Welshpool Magistrates Court yesterday.
In addition to the ban, she was also given a 12-month community order with a 25-day rehabilitation requirement.
She was also ordered to pay a £100 fine, £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge and a £150 criminal case charge.
Mrs Helen Tench, prosecuting, said: "On May 25 at 10pm, an on-duty police officer was driving and saw a car swerving and veering in an erratic manner.
"He witnessed it driving into Bradley's Garage and he approached the vehicle and noticed a deflated tyre.
"The defendant approached from the shop and he could smell alcohol. She admitted she had drunk a bottle of wine and she gave a reading of 124 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
"However, back at the station she was unable to provide a sample and was charged with failing to provide a specimen."
Mr Phil Sherrard for Rimmer, said his client had been drinking too much since her husband had died following a battle with cancer.
He added that she is would lose her job after her conviction and said she was "heavily intoxicated" hence why she was unable to give the two readings.
