A NURSE almost collided with two pedestrians in Carlisle while she was driving with more than three times the legal limit for alcohol in her system.

Barbara Ann Mackie, 62, admitted drink driving.

The city’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court was told that the defendant was seen driving along Brook Street shortly before 7pm on May 15 and at first she seemed to be driving normally.

“But she slowed down as she drove past the mosque and then accelerated erratically, swerving across the lane she was in and almost colliding with the pavement and oncoming cars,” said Diane Jackson, prosecuting.

“Then the vehicle [a Ford Fiesta] almost collided with two pedestrians who almost had to run out of her way.

“It looked as though she hadn’t noticed them.”

A witness who saw this happening commented to her daughter: “It looks as though she’s going to run someone over.”

The woman called the police.

They watched as the defendant stopped, got out of her car, and began staggering around. Mackie was clearly unsteady on her feet.

It was at this point, on Greystone Road, that a man approached the defendant and took her car keys off her.

A breath test later confirmed that the defendant, of Jackson Street, Carlisle, had 111mcg of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Sean Harkin, defending, told magistrates that the defendant had expressed genuine remorse.

“She’s truly sorry for what she’s done,” said the lawyer.

“She acknowledges that she has made a serious error of judgement; and she understands that she needs to be punished for that.”

Mr Harkin said Mackie, who had cooperated fully with the police after she was caught, was a nurse, who was signed off from her work six months ago.

He said that she had used alcohol as a “crutch” for pain management as she coped with two medical conditions – arthritis and fibromyalgia.

She was also dealing with a number of personal issues, said the lawyer.

Mr Harkin did not set out what those issues were in court.

“She’s had something of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol,” continued Mr Harkin, pointing out that there was a lack of recent convictions.

“But since this incident she had taken steps to address the reasons for her behaviour.”

Presiding magistrate Paul Baird told Mackie that the breath alcohol reading she gave had been high, and the offence was made worse by the evidence of her bad driving and the potential harm that she could have caused.

“You know yourself as a nurse that there was the potential for a serious accident,” added Mr Baird.

But he acknowledged that the defendant had recently taken steps to address her problems and to stop her drinking.

“You realise that this is not the way to go forward,” said the magistrate.

Magistrates imposed a 12 month community order, which will include an eight week 7pm to 7am curfew as punishment.

They also disqualified Mackie from driving for 25 months but offered her a drink driver rehabilitation course.

If completed in sufficient time, the course will earn the defendant a 25 per cent reduction in the length of her driving ban.

Mackie must also pay £85 prosecution costs and a £95 victim surcharge. The defendant will also have to pay for the drink driver rehabilitation course.