A DRINK driver has been banned from driving for two years after she caused an accident on Dodsworth Avenue in York.

Clare Elizabeth Reid’s car hit a van as she passed a line of traffic waiting to turn into Heworth Green, said Cathy Turnbull, prosecuting. The previous night she had shared four bottles of wine with her husband and had also drunk a glass of wine for lunch.

Julian Tanikal, defending, told York magistrates Reid, 41, was “significantly surprised” that a breath test revealed she was three times the drink-drive limit.

She had had a sleep since she and her partner had celebrated his promotion by drinking wine and their booking of a holiday, and had felt “fine” when she got behind the wheel to travel to her job with an IT security company.

Reid, of Fifth Avenue, Tang Hall, pleaded guilty to drink driving. She was put on a 20-week curfew between 8pm and 7am every night and was disqualified from driving for two years. She was also ordered to pay a £60 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Ms Turnbull said the collision occurred as Reid drove along Dodsworth Avenue at 2.30pm on January 18 past stationary traffic. She immediately pulled into a layby and spoke to the driver of the van she hit.

A breath test gave a reading of 109 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Mr Tanikal said it was a minor accident that left both cars capable of being driven away and no-one needing medical treatment. Reid had been driving for 23 years without acquiring any penalty points and had no criminal convictions. She was ashamed of her actions.

Reid and her husband had been hard hit by the property crash and as a result had debts of £20,000 which they were paying off, the court was told.