A former Ipswich Academy teacher involved in a head-on crash while more than three times the drink-drive limit has been banned from the road.

Lindsey Harvey, of Heatherhayes, Ipswich, pleaded guilty at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court to driving with excess alcohol on July 21.

At the time the 29-year-old was driving a Ford Focus in Belstead Road.

After a collision, which she caused by driving on the wrong side of the road, a breath test showed she had 121 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

Prosecutor Philip Pearson said when police arrived at the crash scene the woman driving the other vehicle said she had been travelling in the opposite direction when a car on her side of the road collided with her.

Harvey gave a positive breath test and told police she was sorry. It had been the last day of term and she had been having a nice day.

Harvey had previously driven to her aunt’s house, parked up and went to a leaving party for one of her friends at Colts bar on the Waterfront.

Although Mr Pearson said Harvey was a teacher at Ipswich Academy, the court subsequently heard she had not been a teacher at the time of the offence.

Harvey began drinking at 5pm and had consumed a whole bottle of wine.

Magistrates were told she had only eaten a packet of crisps since that lunchtime and could not recall the crash.

Sue Threadkell, representing the mother-of-one, said her client was no longer teaching and now works part-time, although she did not say what Harvey does for a living now.

Harvey had left her role as a teacher due to child care issues because she is a single parent.

Mrs Threadkell said: “She is an incredibly emotional young lady who at this time is facing a life that is incredible challenging.”

The court heard that losing her licence may lead to Harvey losing her current employment.

Harvey was disqualified from driving for 30 months. She was also given a 12-month community order and told to pay £85 to the victims’ fund.