A woman who caused a crash which left three women trapped in their overturned car was four times the drink-drive limit.

At the magistrates court in Carlisle, Anna Louise Power, 35, entered a guilty plea to drink driving following the two-car accident on the A69 at Hayton on Tuesday, April 19.

Julie Hansel, prosecuting, described how police arrived at the accident scene just before 1pm to find the road blocked by an upturned Suzuki car, with firefighters trying to free the three women inside.

Nearby, at the side of the road, was the defendant’s Toyota Yaris, its front end having sustained damage in the collision.

A roadside breath test showed Power was slightly over four times the drink drive limit, with a reading of 142mgs in 100mls of breath.

“She was interviewed and accepted she was the driver [of the Toyota], and that she was fully insured to drive,” said Mrs Hansel.

“She said she had been drinking at home with her mother on the Monday, April 17.

“She consumed one glass of white wine, and a bottle and a half of red wine. She could not remember crashing into the Suzuki.”

The defendant had thought she was driving at 60mph.

Mrs Hansel said that Power had apologised several times for what had happened. She knew the legal limit for alcohol in breath for drivers was 35mgs but she could not remember giving the breath sample.

She had no previous convictions.

After reading background reports on the defendant, District Judge Gerald Chalk said immediately that he would not impose an immediate jail term.

Mark Shepherd, for Power, said that knowledge came as a massive relief to the defendant, who the court heard has underlying problems.

The judge told Power, from Stanegate Way, Low Road, near Brampton: “You are a lady of previous good character but what makes this so serious is that you were driving with an alcohol level four times the legal limit.

“In addition, you were involved in a serious road traffic collision where there were significant injuries caused to third parties.”

Acknowledging that the defendant was addressing her underlying problems, Judge Chalk said that he could suspend for 12 months the 70-day prison sentence that he would impose.

He also ordered that Power complete 70 hours unpaid work in the community. Judge Chalk banned Power from driving for 33 months but gave her the chance to do a drink drivers’ rehabilitation course, which will slice 33 weeks off the length of her ban if completed.

The defendant must pay £85 costs, and a £100 victim surcharge.