DEALING with the break-up of a relationship an MOD Lyneham steward went out in Royal Wootton Bassett and got so drunk she was seen weaving in and out of the traffic.

But she found herself before the court after she smashed a window belonging to Trow & Sons while the 90-year-old owner slept upstairs.

Holly Delphin of Slessor Road, Lyneham, pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage dating from April 23 when she came before the bench at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. But the magistrates heard that despite the offence rising to become her first criminal conviction, there was a silver lining to what had happened.

The court heard from prosecutor Anna Humphreys that a witness had seen 22-year-old Delphin being thrown out of a nightclub in Royal Wootton Bassett because she was too drunk and kept falling over. The man tried to persuade the bouncers to escort her home but they refused so he rang for a taxi to come and collect her which she refused to get in to. In the meantime she had wandered into the road and was zig-zagging down the street.

“Then he heard a loud bang coming from the direction where he had last seen her,” said Ms Humphreys. “He found her surrounded by broken glass outside Trow & Sons so called an ambulance. She was crying but didn’t seem to be injured.”

She explained that the last remaining member of the family who owned the business – a woman in her 90s – still lived above the property. She had heard the commotion but had been too concerned to see what was going on outside.

Delphin’s defence, Gordon Hotson told the court that his client had no recollection of the event as she had been too drunk at the time. “That day she had separated from her boyfriend and was desperately upset,” he said. “She clearly consumed a significant quantity of alcohol. She is very lucky that no harm came to her or others as a result of wandering in and out of the road or causing the damage to the glass which seems to have resulted in her being showered in broken glass.”

But he explained that was a silver lining to the events as it had made her realise she needed help with her mental health and had now sought assistance from her GP.

Sentencing her, chairman of the bench Felicity Dowell told her: “It is very sad that a young lady of your age was so drunk that you were wandering around the road causing damage – it could have been so much more serious. It is something you need to get under control. It’s not nice for anyone else in the street seeing you in that state.”

She imposed a conditional discharge for six months and ordered she pay £439.68 to cover the cost of the broken window along with £85 in prosecution fees and a £20 victim surcharge.