A woman who was worried for her safety following an argument "stupidly" got into a vehicle and drove off after having a few glasses of wine, a court was told.

Camille Allcroft, 41, admitted in court driving a Honda CR-V in Lower Canal Road, Newtown at around 3am on August 27, while more than twice the legal drink drive limit.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, told Welshpool Magistrates' Court that Allcroft was seen throwing her car keys into a driveway when police officers found her "unsteady on her feet and smelling of alcohol".

During a police interview, Allcroft admitted moving the car after having a few glasses of wine because her partner at the time was making "nasty" comments.

Mrs Tench added: "She fell out with partner but then realised she had nowhere to go. She then tried to resolve matters with her partner and an altercation occurred. She moved the vehicle and saw police."

A breath test reading given by Allcroft was 89 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the prescribed limit of 35 micrograms.

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Paul Inns, representing the freelance journalist, told the court that the "sad circumstances" had been an "unpleasant period in her life which she hopes to draw a line under".

"She’d been with partner only a few weeks although friends before that. She is normally a resident in the Peak District with her elderly dad. She was with her partner near the town centre. Unfortunately, her partner had a fair few spirits to drink and became rather unpleasant shoving her around. She hadn’t been drinking at this time.

"She then walked into town to The Sportsman and drank wine. Whilst at The Sportsman, and in fairness to staff who found her in a distressed state, they assisted to find alternative accommodation but because it was a Bank Holiday there were simply none available. She found herself with no alternative but to stay at her partner’s place. He was very unpleasant to her. I won’t go into significant detail, but he was very unpleasant. She was upset and was worried for herself. In her own words she stupidly got into the vehicle and drove a short distance to get away from her partner, then police attended."

Magistrates disqualified Allcroft, of Little Hayfield, Derbyshire, from driving for 22 months, and ordered her to pay a £120 fine, £48 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.