A 52-year-old Ipswich woman has been banned from driving for almost three years, after she got behind the wheel while almost four times over the limit. 

Joanne Clements was disqualified from driving for 32 months when she appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after she previously admitted to driving with excess alcohol and driving without due care and attention. 

Officers received a call at about 9.35pm on Saturday, December 10, to reports that a driver of a Nissan Micra had jumped a red light along Valley Road close to the junction with Henley Road. 

The witness stated that they were travelling behind the car, which was being driven erratically towards Norwich Road.

The car was then seen to continue into Chevalier Street, before turning right into Bramford Road and coming to a stop in a nearby road.

The driver was then described to have fallen out of the car when she exited it and then also fell over a garden wall, before struggling to put the key in her front door.

On arrival officers found Clements in her doorway where she appeared confused and unsteady. She subsequently failed a roadside breath test and was arrested and taken to Martlesham police investigation centre (PIC) or questioning.

Clements provided a further sample of breath once at the PIC and was charged with having 130 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath

The legal limit is 35mg in 100ml of breath.

In her police interview the following day, Clements informed officers that she had spent the day of the incident working as a home visit carer. She had conducted a number of joint visits during the morning at which point she stated she was sober.

However, after lunch she made her final four visits alone and had begun drinking vodka at 2pm, stating that by the time she got home she had consumed approximately half a litre of the spirit.

Clements, of Hampton Road was also instructed to complete nine-months of alcohol treatment, 25 days of rehabilitation activity and pay fines and costs totalling £259.

Civilian investigator Richard Fox, who interviewed Clements in custody, said: “It is staggering that someone would get behind the wheel of a car having consumed so much alcohol they could barely walk when they got home.

“This is then compounded by the fact that Joanne Clements had been undertaking her work caring for elderly and vulnerable people whilst clearly in no fit state. It is incredibly fortunate that no one came to any harm as a result of her actions.

“This incident occurred 10 days into our annual Christmas campaign highlighting the dangers of drink-driving. It is one of the ‘Fatal 4’ main causes of death and serious injury on our roads, but unfortunately - as proven in this case - there are still far too many people taking unnecessary and reckless risks with the lives of others.”