AN EVENING at a relative’s birthday party could have ended in “someone’s family wrecked” because of a Musselburgh woman’s “irresponsibility”, a sheriff has said.

Nicola Haynes attended her son-in-law’s celebrations in Leith earlier this year but while enjoying herself she decided to have some wine.

At the end of the evening she was put into a taxi by her daughter but then made “a catastrophic decision” to get out of the cab and jump into her car for the journey home.

The 51-year-old then made her way through Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, where she collided with another vehicle.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that Haynes, of Windsor Park Terrace, Musselburgh, had been on medication before drinking several glasses of wine at the party.

Following the crash, the care worker was found to be more than three times the drink-drive limit and she was arrested and charged by police.

Haynes pleaded guilty to driving while having 69mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Queen’s Drive and Old Church Lane, both Edinburgh, on April 23 when she appeared in the dock last Wednesday – the legal limit is just 22mg.

She also admitted to driving with no valid insurance, driving on the wrong side of the road, and colliding with a vehicle at the same location on the same date.

Sheriff Gordon Liddle told the offender that her actions could have ended in the death of someone and he banned her from driving for 18 months and ordered her to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Sheriff Liddle also allowed Haynes the opportunity to take part in a drink-drive rehabilitation course which, if she completes successfully, will see the ban reduced to 12 months.

The court was told that Haynes was driving a Vauxhall Corsa when she collided with another vehicle, damaging the vehicle’s wing mirror, but Haynes failed to stop.

The other driver pulled over to check the damage and the Corsa also stopped a short while later.

The driver approached Haynes’ car and told her the police had been contacted and not to move away. Haynes was also said to have been “smelling of alcohol” and, on arrival, police noticed she was “clearly under the influence of alcohol”.

Officers also said she “failed to make eye contact” with them and the first offender was arrested and taken to St Leonard’s Police Station.

Sheriff Liddle said: “From what I’ve been told, you understand how serious this is and that you could have been in a much worse position.

“You might have been responsible for the death of someone else – just consider the impact of that. Someone’s family wrecked because of your irresponsibility, and your family wrecked because of your irresponsibility.

“That is what you took upon yourself when you got out of that taxi.”

Haynes will also have to pass the extended driving test at the end of her ban if she wants to drive again.