A woman who drank three large vodkas before driving is off the road for 32 months after a member of the public took away her car keys.

Jane Louise Blamires, 58, turned to alcohol to cope first with the consequences of the Covid lockdown and then a personal tragedy, her solicitor Emily Calman told York Magistrates Court.

She is now an alcoholic but is getting support in conquering her drinking addiction.

Melanie Ibbotson, prosecuting, said another driver was so alarmed by the manner of Blamires’ driving on April 15 in Sherburn-in-Elmet, he followed her and when she parked, got out of his own car, opened her driver’s door and removed her keys.

He asked her if she had been drinking and called police.

When officers arrived eight minutes later, they gave her a breath test that indicated she was four times the legal alcohol limit.

A blood test taken later at a police station gave a reading of 281 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

She told them she had had three large vodkas.

Blamires, of Eversley Mount, Sherburn-in-Elmet, pleaded guilty to drink driving. In addition to being disqualified for 32 months, she was made subject to a community order with 200 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitative activities. She was also ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £95 statutory surcharge.

Ms Calman said: “She is very remorseful that she stands in court today.”

Blamires had been an event manager until she was laid off because of the Covid pandemic and the hospitality industry was closed down for a long period.

“She loved that career,” said Ms Calman. “Because she was at home, not busy, not doing what she was used to be doing, she hit the bottle.

“At one point she was drinking a considerable amount of alcohol to the point where she had to get assistance from a medical professional.”

In March this year, she lost her mother which added to the pressure on Blamires and further impacted her mental health.

“She accepts she is an alcoholic,” said the defence solicitor. Blamires is now getting help from two alcohol rehabilitation organisations and is no longer needing to use alcohol in the way she used to.

On April 15, she had behaved out of character.

She now had a new job which she will be able to continue doing without her car, said Ms Calman.

Ms Ibbotson said the other driver was in New Lane, Sherburn-in-Elmet when he saw Blamires driving.

Her car appeared to have stalled and then set off at speed.

She was weaving from side to side and at one point suddenly swerved from the wrong side of the road to the correct side, scuffing the kerb.

The other driver followed as she turned into Elmet Social Club and she parked up.