Last updated 15:55, Wednesday, 07 May 2008

A WOMAN broke down in tears at Whitehaven Magistrates Court where she appeared on a drunk driving charge as she told of how she provided 24-hour care for her mother and had not had a drink for two and half years until the day of her arrest.

Susan Marie Lambert, 58, of Hunter’s Drive, Workington, had drunk two unmeasured glasses of Bacardi on March 6 before driving to West Cumberland Hospital where her mother was in A&E following a massive fit.

Lambert had returned home to get her mother some nightclothes as she was going to be admitted that night.

She told magistrates that everything had just got on top of her and that she had a drink to steady her nerves.

She had cared for her mother for the last 11 years and not had a drink for two and a half years.

Lambert, who was unrepresented, had witnessed the fit and said it was very frightening.

When she returned to her car in the West Cumberland Hospital car park to go and collect the clothes she had scraped into the side of a Mr Trainer’s car.

The prosecution read a statement from Mr Trainer which said he had noticed a woman sitting with her head in her hands near his car and that there was some damage to his car.

He knocked on the window but there was no response so he went to open the driver’s door.

Lambert originally asked the man to move her car for her but then attempted to do it herself causing further damage Mr Trainer’s car.

She then drove off.

Mr Trainer informed a police officer coming out of A&E and said that he thought the woman was drunk. Lambert was taken to the police station where she was found to have 208mg of alcohol in 100 of blood millilitres, the legal limit is 80.

Lambert pleaded guilty and was disqualified from driving for 23 months and was fined £150 plus £43 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Lambert had already paid for the damage caused to Mr Trainer’s car.

Presiding magistrate, Pat Routledge said this was one of the saddest case she had heard.