A nurse from Peel who crashed her car while nearly three times the drink-drive limit has been banned and sentenced to community service and probation.

Beth Houston-McMillan, of Ballawattleworth Estate, failed a blood test with a reading of 234 - the legal limit is 80.

Magistrates banned the 49-year-old from driving for five years and ordered her to do 120 hours of unpaid work as well as putting her on probation for 12 months.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that police were called to Poortown Road in Peel on May 12 at 3.45pm.

Houston-McMillan had crashed her Hyundai Touson near to Ballalough farm after coming into contact with the pavement, crossing the road and hitting a hedge.

The car’s windscreen was smashed and airbags deployed.

Houston-McMillan was still in the car when police arrived, and suffered lacerations to her hand and face.

She couldn’t open the door on the driver’s side so was attempting to get out of the car on the passenger side but was told to remain in the car until an ambulance and the fire service arrived.

She told police she was due on a flight that evening.

After being taken out of the vehicle, she denied consuming alcohol.

As she was asked to take a roadside breathalyser test she then admitted she had drunk vodka and said the test would be positive.

However, she was only able to blow short breaths, despite four attempts, and kept saying: ’I’m going to be sacked.’

At Noble’s Hospital, a sample of blood was taken for analysis which later produced the result of 234.

When interviewed, Houston-McMillan admitted drinking a third of a bottle of vodka on the morning of the accident.

Vodka

She also said she had been on medication due to depression and that her partner was ill.

Defence advocate Andrew Marshall said: ’On the day in question she only travelled a short distance in her car.

’It was 3.15pm on a Sunday, Poortown Road would have been incredibly quiet. There is no evidence of speeding and nobody else was involved in the incident.’

Mr Marshall went on to say that Houston-McMillan had been working as many hours as possible to financially support her elderly mother who lived in South Africa.

The advocate added that custody would end his client’s career and result in her losing her accommodation as well as stop her financial support for her mother.

Magistrates ordered that Houston-McMillan retake her test at the end of the ban and pay £50 prosecution costs.