A WOMAN who was caught behind the wheel while nearly six times over the drink-drive limit has been banned from the road for 20 months.

Joanne McLay, 49, drove a vehicle near to her home at Dolphingstone View, Prestonpans, last September.

McLay gave a reading of 125mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath following a roadside breath test.

The legal limit is 22mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

She had appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month to admit her guilt and was back in the dock on Monday for sentencing.

Her solicitor said that McLay had driven her car that evening due to “an unplanned trip” and after she had consumed alcohol at home.

The lawyer added that her client had “no underlying issues with alcohol” and that she had shown “great remorse” for committing the offence.

Sheriff Peter McCormack acknowledged that there had been “an extremely high reading” given by McLay that had “reached the custody threshold”.

But the sheriff said that the first offender would instead be sentenced to an 80-day restriction of liberty order.

She will be electronically tagged and must stay within her home address between the hours of 8pm and 6am each night.

McLay was also banned from driving for 20 months.

McLay pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle with 125mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Dolphingstone View, Prestonpans, on September 10 last year.