Carer Susan Partner drank a bottle of wine in half an hour before driving her car to visit one of the clients she looked after, magistrates have been told.

Partner, 52, who has since lost her job, was involved in a road accident on October 9 in Goatacre on the way to her client, and while paramedics took care of her, a police officer noticed the smell of alcohol.

North West Wiltshire magistrates were told tests confirmed she had 121 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, around three-and-a-half times the legal limit of 35mg.

However, a report by the probation service revealed Partner had been going through personal and financial difficulties.

The report said: “By her own admission, Mrs Partner was at her lowest ebb.

“Her twin daughters have left home and gone to different universities. The partner of one of her daughters has been diagnosed with cancer. She and her husband and the rest of the family have extreme financial problems.”

The court heard Partner returned home after seeing a client, and thought “what the hell” before opening a bottle of wine and consuming it in half an hour after two days of eating little.

The mum-of-four, who the court heard had never had a problem with alcohol and had not had a drink for the previous year, said she had not felt impaired after consuming the wine.

The report into the incident continued: “It was an impulsive response to her distress, upset and worries.”

The family have been living in a two-bed holiday let as a result of their financial troubles, but when the property was taken on by holidaymakers, struggled to find accommodation.

Partner lost her job as a carer within a week of the incident, and her solicitor Michael Jeary said she never claimed benefits.

Mr Jeary said: “She is a lady who has always had a job, and if she did not have a job at any point, it would be a matter of weeks until she found one again.

“This is a difficult situation. I am concerned that by giving her unpaid work in Trowbridge, we will be setting her up to fail as she may not be able to get there. We could see her back here in six months.”

Presiding magistrate John Easdon instead imposed a driving disqualification for 30 months, reduced by 30 weeks on completion of a 16-hour drink-driving course, costs, and a 30-month conditional discharge.

He said: “This is a very serious offence.”