A DRINK-DRIVER who was more than three-and-a-half times over the limit was handed a suspended prison sentence and banned from the road for two years.

Joanne Gabriel Williams, aged 55, of Upland Road, Springfield, Pontllanfraith, had 287 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood her system.

The legal limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

Newport Magistrates’ Court heard this week how the defendant was caught by police on Pontllanfraith’s Millbrook Road whilst at the wheel of a Fiat Panda.

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The offence was committed on Sunday, May 26, and she pleaded guilty to drink driving.

She was jailed for 14 weeks, suspended for 12 months.

Magistrates said they were imposing a prison sentence because of her “previous record of offending, the extremely high reading of alcohol in her blood and unacceptable standard of driving”.

Williams was made the subject of an alcohol treatment requirement and must undertake a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

She was disqualified from having a driving licence for 48 months.

That could be reduced by 52 weeks if the defendant completes a course approved by the Secretary of State.

Williams has to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and prosecution costs of £85.

Magistrates told her the reason they were not imposing immediate custody was to allow the defendant the opportunity to work with the Probation Service to address her alcohol issues.

They said Williams’ guilty plea was taken into account when imposing sentence and if she had not admitted the offence, the period of custody would have been 21 weeks.

She was sentenced by magistrates Paul Christopher Phillips, who was the chairman, Jennifer James and Nicholas Steven Haynes.