A Co Tyrone woman has been banned from driving for a year after admitting she drove a car while over the legal alcohol limit in the early hours of the morning.

Alison Kilpatrick, of Kingarrow Road, Omagh, appeared before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday 11 June. She pleaded guilty to the offence, which occurred on 18 May.

The court heard police on patrol observed a car moving erratically around 2.15am. They stopped the vehicle and a breath test recorded 83 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Her defence solicitor said she had been visiting a friend with her partner and made a regrettable decision to drive a short distance of about a mile and a half between two properties. The defendant, a care home worker whose duties include transporting residents on outings, has held a clean driving licence for 30 years.

A character reference was provided to the court. It was her first court appearance. District Judge Nigel Broderick described the reading as high but took account of the early guilty plea and her unblemished driving record.

She was fined £300 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.