A young woman who was more than three times the limit when caught drink-driving has been banned from the road for 24 months.

Lisa Debenham, of Periman Close, Newmarket, was sentenced at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in Ipswich after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to driving with excess alcohol.

The 26-year-old had 115 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when she was breathalysed after her arrest on January 25. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

Prosecutor David Bryant said police followed a Ford Focus driven by Debenham in Exeter Road, Newmarket, and then into Exning Road.

The court was told they were concerned about her driving as she was struggling to negotiate bends.

Debenham’s Focus was stopped and a roadside breath test indicated a positive reading.

The supervisor at a laundry, who was representing herself in court, said: “I’m really sorry. I understand the consequence of my actions. At the time I didn’t think.”

Debenham added she realised should could have seriously hurt someone, or the people who were in her car.

“I didn’t realise how drunk I was at the time. I just got in my car to go home.”

In addition to disqualifying Debenham from driving, magistrates gave her a 12-month community order.

As part of the order she must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Debenham must also pay £85 court costs and £85 to the victims’ fund.

In a separate hearing before the same court John Moore, of Springfield Lane, Ipswich, was also banned for drink-driving while nearly twice the legal alcohol limit.

The 68-year-old was caught on a slip-road at Sproughton while behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra on February 15.

A subsequent breath test showed he had 68mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

Moore pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol during the first hearing of his case.

He was disqualified from driving for 17 months.

In addition Moore was fined £300.

He was also ordered to pay £75 towards prosecution costs, as well as £30 to the victims’ fund.