A north-east motorist caught driving nearly seven times the drink-drive limit has been banned for six years.
Jacquelyn Jenkins was making her way along the unclassified New Deer to Fyvie road near to Millbrex on Wednesday, April 17 when was stopped by police.
The 57-year-old gave a positive breath test, which showed she had 149 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Jenkins was behind the wheel of a blue Citroen Berlingo at the time.
She appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court last month and admitted to drink driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. Jenkins was handed an immediate driving ban as a result.
Yesterday, Jenkins returned to the dock for sentencing.
Defence agent Stuart Flowerdew told the court his client was trying to fight her addiction with the support of her doctor, and presented a letter outlining the steps she had taken to seek professional help.
Mr Flowerdew told Sheriff Christine McCrossan: “She has been seeing a specialist and has agreed to enter into counselling. She is taking matters seriously and has demonstrated this to her GP.
“She is fighting the notorious illness of addiction and if that can be sorted her risk to the community would be greatly reduced.
“There are patches when she can cope with the illness but she needs the right support.”
Mr Flowerdew said any “areas of concern” could be dealt with by a community payback order.
Sheriff McCrossan said she was considering sending Jenkins to jail and that the community payback order handed out was an alternative to custody.
Sheriff McCrossan added: “It is essential she appreciates that this is now her fourth conviction of this nature and the reality is she was seven times over the limit.”
Jenkins was ordered to carry out 190 hours of unpaid work and placed under the supervision of social workers for a year.