MOTHER-of-two Rita Irwin lost her appeal against a drink driving conviction after a court rejected her claims she consumed half a bottle of vodka after she had collided with a car in a hotel car park.

But the appeal tribunal at Aylesbury Crown Court cut a two-year driving ban to 12 months because of domestic problems which included having an ill husband.

Irwin, 54, of Cross Lanes Close, Chalfont St Peter, appealed last Friday against the conviction imposed at Beaconsfield Magistrates Court on May 18 when they found the first-time offender guilty of driving with excess alcohol in her system 213 milligrammes of drink in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrammes.

Respondent prosecutor Michael Morley said the offence followed an incident on October 24 after Irwin had originally driven her Mercedes car into the front parking area of the Ethorpe Hotel at Gerrards Cross with a flat tyre.

After having a snack and a pint of cider she returned to move it but hit a BMW parked nearby and caused minor damage.

She then left the scene and was found in the garden of a house along Packhorse Road by a police officer who was called to the scene.

Mr Morley said a waiter at the hotel who had served Irwin claimed she appeared to have been under the influence of drink and drugs before she went out and the BMW owner and his wife also said Irwin had been drunk and distressed.

Irwin told police after her arrest she had not consumed any alcohol after the collision, but in a later interview she claimed that when she wandered off into a stranger's garden she had drunk half a bottle of vodka which she had had on her after the incident and although she had gone back to look for the bottle the next day she had been unable to find it.

Mr Morley said: "Mrs Irwin was asked why she had not told the police about having consumed vodka in the garden when she was arrested and she told them because it was something she had not been proud of."

Irwin told Judge Daniel Rodwell QC and two magistrates that she had also taken valium for depression.

The judge said after the appeal was dismissed, the tribunal would reduce the driving ban to 12 months because of the appellant's personal difficulties.

Irwin was ordered to pay £444.05 appeal costs.