Drink-driving nursing student caught traveling at speed in Cliviger

The defendant had got behind with her council tax.

Jill Marie Robinson (43) was caught at 3am, when she was seen "travelling at speed" towards Todmorden on Burnley Road in Cliviger. Police followed her, she slowed right down, and was stopped when she accelerated away again.

Burnley magistrates were told how Robinson's care home worker friend had taken her out to the pub to cheer her up as bailiffs had been sent round to her home. She blew 51 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The defendant, of Stubley Holme in Todmorden, admitted driving with excess alcohol at Holme Chapel in Cliviger on January 24th. She was fined £154 and told to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. Robinson was banned for 12 months.

Mr Stuart Kaufman, defending, said Robinson had got behind with her council tax. He told the court: "As a result, they sent bailiffs round."

The solicitor continued: "She didn't eat anything during the course of that day. She drove to a friend's house and he tried to cheer her up and said 'We will go to the pub.' She didn't have much to drink. She only had a couple of pints of cider but she did it on an empty stomach."

Mr Kaufman added: "This is a one-off in her case. She was very nervous about coming to court."