A WOMAN was caught more than four times the drink-drive limit after crashing a van near a Hampshire pub.

Rebecca Patience crashed a Renault panel van into a parked car after drinking at the Saxon Inn in Totton.

When tested, the 44-year-old was found to have 150 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 35 microgrammes of alcohol.

Appearing in court, Patience was sentenced to a community order by magistrates, who described her breath test reading as “extremely high”.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how on December 22, a woman was walking away from Tesco Express in Nutshalling Close, near to where the Saxon Inn is also located.

While walking, she saw a Renault Master van moving slowly in the direction of a parked car.

Prosecuting, Rachel Standish said: “She was walking down the road when she noticed a van slowly moving towards another vehicle.

“The van crashed into it, slowly.

“She (the witness) saw the driver (Patience) bowing her head into the steering wheel.

“The witness said when Patience got out of the vehicle she fell over several times.”

Police arrested Patience and she was taken to Southampton Central Station, where she carried out a breath test.

Ms Standish described the reading, of 150 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, as “high”.

Ms Standish added: “In this case, not only was the reading high, but there is evidence of a poor standard of driving as well.”

Mitigating, Engela McMonnies said Patience was a functioning alcoholic, who previously maintained a clean criminal record.

She said at the time of the incident, Patience was working as a delivery driver, but had lost her job as a result of the drink-driving charge.

Ms McMonnies said the incident had been a “wake-up call” and that Patience had since taken help for her alcoholism from a local charity.

Patience pleaded guilty to one count of drink-driving during her last appearance in court.

On Wednesday she was sentenced to a 12-month community order by magistrates.

Lead magistrate Steve Anderton said: “As you are aware this reading is extremely high and, according to the guidelines, one sentence could be to send you to prison.

“But we do have flexibility of moving that around, with a longer sentence or a sentence in the community.

“Because of your previous good character and mitigation, we feel that it is more appropriate to go down the community order route.

“We hope this will help you deal with your alcoholism which is running your life.”

Magistrates ordered Patience to complete a six-month alcohol treatment course and 150 hours of unpaid work as part of her community order.

Patience, of Testwood Crescent, Totton, was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £170.