TAKING her handicapped partner to the pub to watch the football resulted in a woman being banned from the roads after she was caught above the drink drive limit.

Sixty-eight-year-old Joy Beattie attracted the attention of the police in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, June 12 after they saw her swerving her 08-plate Peugeot 307 in the road.

The officers also witnessed her indicate over to the left hand side of the road on two occasions before pulling back out without indicating.

They pulled her over and said that they could smell alcohol on her. Thinking that their roadside breath test equipment wasn't working properly they radioed for a second one to be brought to the scene.

But when Beattie failed to supply a sample she was taken into custody. There she explained she suffered from asthma and hay fever and instead volunteered blood samples.

This showed that she had 129mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg in blood.

On Wednesday morning the Shrivenham Road resident, who has no previous convictions, cautions or even points on her driving licence, pleaded guilty to driving while above the drink drive limit when she came before magistrates sitting in Swindon.

Her defence, Laura Gardner, explained that her client had taken her partner of 23 years to the pub that evening to watch the football.

Having suffered a broken hip he had mobility issues and wasn't able to get out very often, the court heard.

She said: "She understands she has no excuse for driving after drinking and she completely understands she was in the wrong. She has been so affected by what happened in June that she hasn't driven since. She attended court today on the bus, and she has said she may start using a bike when she is inevitably disqualified. She wants you to know she is extremely remorseful."

Sentencing her, Jonathan Chappell told her: "It sounds as though you have realised what you did back on June 12 was something you deeply regret and we have taken into account that you have shown that regret."

He fined her £180 and ordered she pay Crown Prosecution Service costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £30.

She was further banned from driving for 14 months, although the bench gave the opportunity to complete a drink drivers' awareness course, which - if completed - will reduce her ban by 14 weeks.