A MAN and a woman are banned from the roads today after they were both caught driving more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

A MAN and a woman are banned from the roads today after they were both caught driving more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Clive Driver and Viorika Pirsteliene ended up crashing their cars after driving their vehicles when drunk in separate incidents in Ipswich and Felixstowe.

They left South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court stripped of their licences after admitting the offences.

Pirsteliene, 31, of Langer Road, Felixstowe was found to be nearly four times over the limit when she was breathalysed by police following an accident in Crescent Road in the town in the early hours of December 23.

Chair of the bench Joan Overett gave her an eight week prison sentence, suspended for eight months, and ordered her to carry out 60 hours unpaid work in the community.

A qualified teacher and psychologist, currently working as a kitchen assistant, Pirsteliene was also disqualified from driving for 36 months and told to pay �65 costs.

Police tests recorded 138 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

The court heard how Pirsteliene drove a Vauxhall Tigra straight across a junction on Crescent Road, Felixstowe and crashed into a Citroen trying to make a right hand turn on Leopald Road.

David Stewart, representing the Polish woman, said she was a mother to two children and was of previous good character, with no other convictions.

“It appears this is a one off brought on by Christmas festivities,” he said.

Mrs Overett told Pirsteliene her disqualification could be reduced by nine months if she completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course in her own time.

In a separate incident the court heard how Driver, 43, of Nottidge Road, Ipswich collided with a motorcyclist during the afternoon of December 22 while three times the legal limit.

He had crashed as he attempted to overtake the biker in Franciscan Way at 1.20pm.

The court had previously heard how Driver stopped his red Vauxhall Corsa to flag down a passing police officer who breathalysed both uninjured men.

He failed the roadside test and was taken the short distance to Ipswich Police Station where he gave a reading of 107 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg per 100ml.

Mrs Overett disqualified Driver from the roads for 28 months and ordered him to undergo a 12 month alcohol treatment programme run by the Probation Service, as well as paying �65 costs.

When she asked him if he had anything to say in the hearing, he replied: “I have nothing further to say. I feel as though I have wasted a lot of court time over the past two months and hopefully any punishment will help my alcohol problem.”