A woman who less than a year ago was given a suspended jail term for an alcohol-fuelled arson offence has admitted drink driving.

Karen Storey, 41, committed the latest offence as she drove her Citroen Saxo on the Corby Hill to Heads Nook road on Saturday, February 13, Carlisle’s magistrates’ court was told.

She entered a guilty plea to drink driving.

At the time of the offence, the court heard, Storey’s blood alcohol content was 157mgs per 100mls of blood – the limit is 80mgs.

Magistrates decided that the defendant, from Heads Nook, should be sentenced by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court after hearing that the offence has placed her in breach of a suspended sentence imposed there last year. In the meantime, they imposed an interim driving ban.

In the earlier case, the crown court heard how Storey had been feeling suicidal when she started a blaze at her parents’ home in Embleton Road, Upperby, in an upstairs room.

At the time, her parents were both downstairs.

All three escaped unhurt but the fire caused extensive damage.

Storey admitted arson while being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

On the night of the fire, her father found a note from Storey that stated: “I will kill myself”.

It was linked to serious problems in her personal life.

At the time she was sentenced in the crown court, her defence lawyer Mark Shepherd said the facts of the offence fitted with a suicide attempt.

“It is perfectly clear that she did not intend to harm anyone else but herself,” he said.

Judge Barbara Forrester imposed a two-year prison sentence, suspending it for a year.

The defendant, who has a previous drink driving offence on her record dating back to 2012, was also told to complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity and pay £1,000 court costs.

She will be sentenced for the drink driving offence on June 17.