A DRINK-DRIVER was almost three times over the limit when she crashed in south Herefordshire, a court heard.

Gabriele Tammy McDonald, 20, admitted the offence when she appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Prosecutor Nicola Ritchie said police in Herefordshire were informed that a missing person had been caught on camera heading towards the force area from Abergavenny at 9.15pm on October 3.

They tracked down her green Ford Focus after members of the public reported the car had stopped in the middle of the A465 near Pontrilas.

PC Wells said McDonald's car was swerving and drifting as she hit speeds of 80 miles per hour and overtook multiple vehicles, almost hitting another car and clipping the verge.

The chase came to an end after McDonald, who is from Tredegar, turned on to Ruckhall Lane, Belmont, where she crashed into a verge after misjudging a bend.

Officers found cans of Strongbow in the footwell of McDonald's car. A breath test revealed she had 104 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Emily Gourley, mitigating, said McDonald's mother had called police after her daughter had expressed a wish to end her life.

"The description of her driving is quite shocking," Mrs Gourley said.

"It is blind luck that she didn't kill herself. In the end, she drove head on towards a tree, hoping that would do the job."

The court heard that McDonald had been drinking vodka and cider before she had got into the car with the intention of ending her own life.

She is now receiving psychiatric treatment voluntarily.

Magistrates said McDonald had caused a danger to herself and to the public, and she was lucky that no-one had been killed.

McDonald was disqualified from driving for 26 months and fined £200. She must also pay costs of £75 and a £32 victim surcharge.

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