A woman who crashed her car through a garden wall and into the front of a Clacton home while nearly twice the drink-drive limit has been banned from driving for 16 months.

Hayley Kyriakides admitted drink-driving when she appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court yesterday, after her Ford Granada ended up in the bay window of Oxford Road resident Jackie Knowles's house at about 1.15am last Friday

A male passenger was taken to Colchester General Hospital for treatment to a bruised shoulder.

Sharon Moore, prosecuting, told the court that a police breath test showed 64 mcgs of alcohol. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

Kyriakides, 41, of Vista Road, Clacton, said she regretted her behaviour.

"I'm really sorry, I feel really silly," she said.

She added there was no exceptional reason why she needed her driving licence, although she took her children to school by car.

Magistrates told Kyriakides the 16-month ban would be reduced to 12 months if she completed a drink-driver rehabilitation course.

They fined her £150 with £43 costs.

Published Friday July 30, 2004

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette