A former investment banker who crashed her car while three-and-a-half times over the legal drink and drive limit had stayed up until the early hours of the morning drinking bottles of wine and shots of Sambuca with friends.

Cheryl Wallace, 42, from Rochester Way, Croxley Green, cried uncontrollably as St Albans Magistrates' Court heard how she hadn't considered the dangers of driving the morning after her drinking binge.

She had been drinking with friends until 5.30am on Saturday, July 14 and, after a short sleep, decided to get in her BMW 4x4 at around 1pm to travel to her local shops to buy some cigarettes.

But she was still highly intoxicated and within minutes crashed the large car along Manor Road, Watford.

Police, who arrested Mrs Wallace at the scene, breathalysed her at Watford police station and found she had 124mg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The legal level is 35 mg.

But magistrate Richard Powell spared the drink-driver jail despite the very high reading, taking into account her previously clean criminal record and clear remorse.

The court heard from probation, that Wallace, who had been an investment banker for 22 years until giving up her job to travel in 2009, was "extremely distressed" at the thought of custody and believed she wouldn't cope.

Now unemployed, Wallace, who married last year, sobbed in the dock as probation stressed how upset the defendant had been about causing an accident and its possible consequences.

The magistrate disqualified Wallace from driving for 30 months and sentenced her to a 12 month community order, including the drink impaired driving course, and 220 hours of unpaid work. She must also pay £85 costs.