Plymouth midwife Janice Hawke banned from driving
A Devon midwife arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving, had a bottle of gin, tonic and a glass with lemon slices in her car, a court has heard.
Janice Hawke, of Woodstock Gardens, Plymouth, gave a positive roadside breath test but failed to provide a sample after being arrested.
The 57-year-old admitted failing to provide a sample on 2 April.
Plymouth magistrates sentenced Hawke to a 12-month community order and banned her from driving for three years.
Prosecutor Gareth Warden told the court police were called by a passer by who said a woman, who appeared drunk, had asked him to start her car which had broken down.
When officers arrived, they smelt alcohol in her Honda car and found the bottle of gin, tonic water and a glass containing lemon slices.
The Crown said Hawke's roadside breath test reading was "extremely high", but she failed four times to provide another sample at the police station.
Defence lawyer Bill Lahive said his client was upset at the death of an uncle to whom she was close.
She had begun drinking in the morning as she sorted out his belongings, but she ran out of alcohol and went to the supermarket to buy more.
Mr Lahive said Hawke had sought help for her alcoholism after a previous drink-drive conviction in 2005, but the bereavement had brought "matters to a head".