A 47-year-old Gorslas woman who crashed her car after downing four or five “unmeasured” vodkas at a friend’s house following a New Year’s Eve shopping trip has been banned from getting behind the wheel for 46 months.

Leesa Howell, of 7 Llandeilo Road, was almost two-and-a-half times the legal limit when she was taken to hospital after crashing into another vehicle at 6.55pm on December 31.

The second car had been reversing into a driveway off Llandeilo Road at the time of the smash.

Howell was receiving treatment for her injuries in an ambulance when police arrived at the scene.

She failed a roadside breath test before being taken to West Wales General Hospital, Glangwili, where blood samples taken later showed she had 199 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Ellie Morgan, prosecuting, told Llanelli magistrates that Howell admitted she had drunk “four or five vodkas” when interviewed some weeks later.

“She was unsure of measures,” Ms Morgan told the court.

Magistrates heard how Howell had received a three-year driving ban in 2005 for drink-driving and was also convicted of driving while over the limit in 1998.

Peter Martin, defending, told the court how Howell and her uncle had been out shopping earlier on the day of the accident.

“They stopped off to see friends on their way home,” said Mr Martin.

“She accepts she did not apply a great deal of good judgement in terms of the measures she was given by those friends.”

Howell admitted driving while over the limit.

“This is a rather sad case,” magistrates told her, “and this is your second conviction within ten years.”

Howell was banned from driving for 46 months and fined £130.

She was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a further £20 legal surcharge.