A woman from St John’s has been banned from driving and fined £1,250 after admitting drink-driving.
Tara Maria McMillan, of Slieau Whallian Park, was in Lloyds Bank in Peel when a police officer smelt alcohol on her breath.
He then saw the 41-year-old leave the bank and get into her car but stopped as her as she started to drive away.
McMillan was banned by magistrates for three years with an order to retake her test and attend a drink-driving rehabilitation course.
Prosecutor Roger Kane told the court that the offence took place on March 29 at 3.10pm.
The police officer spoke to McMillan in the bank and noticed a smell of alcohol.
She left and got into her car outside the bank with another woman in the passenger seat.
As she pulled away she was stopped and asked if she had been drinking. McMillan told the officer she had drunk one alcoholic drink earlier.
The roadside breathalyser device was not working but a test at police headquarters produced a reading of 98 - the legal limit is 35.
The court heard that McMillan has a previous conviction in 2000 for being drunk in charge of a vehicle when she was disqualified for six months.
Defence advocate Aalish Hannan said: ’Ms McMillan is incredibly embarrassed. It is entirely out of character.’
Ms Hannan said that McMillan helped her elderly neighbour daily and it was her who was the passenger on the day.
’On this day, she carried out her job in the morning and returned home. She made herself a hot toddy and was not aware how much alcohol she put in. She also had another.
’Then her neighbour contacted her distressed as she thought she had lost all her money and asked her to take her to the bank.
’Ms McMillan failed to recognise she had had that level of alcohol. She took her to the bank then left to take her neighbour home. She uses her licence for her employment so the disqualification will have a significant impact. She hopes her job will continue.’
Magistrates’ chair David Christian told McMillan while passing sentence: ’You had a vulnerable passenger in the car so things could have turned out a lot worse.’