Ref. 28769-33A MOTORIST caught weaving dangerously down a Swindon road on New Year's Day has been banned from driving.

Linda Micallef, 54, of Birdcombe Road, Westlea, admitted failing to give a specimen of breath at an earlier hearing.

On Friday, Becky Abbott, prosecuting, told Swindon magistrates that police spotted Micallef driving her Vauxhall Nova erratically along Tewkesbury Way on the evening of New Year's Day.

The court heard the car was accelerating and decelerating between 5mph and 15mph.

When the officers pulled her over they said they smelt alcohol on her breath and asked her to take a roadside breathalyser test.

"She made five separate attempts but it was clear that she was blowing very weakly," said Miss Abbott. "On the sixth, it was positive and she was arrested."

At the police station, attempts to get a second, more conclusive, reading failed.

Micallef was heard saying that she couldn't be bothered with taking the tests.

At an earlier court hearing it was said only partial readings could be obtained.

One showed she was more than four times over the legal drink-drive limit.

A level of 143 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath was recorded. The legal limit is 35mg.

But at Friday's hearing, the court disregarded those findings.

Stephen Weighell, mitigating, said Micallef had been suffering from depression and had been away from work on sick leave since September.

He said: "She works stressful shifts, four days on four days off, working 12 hour days.

"She has no history of offending and her family say the fright of these proceedings have brought home her alcohol problem.

"It is going to take some considerable time before she can return to work."

Passing sentence, chairman of the bench Barry Wicks said he would give Micallef one final chance to crack her problem and gave her an 18-month conditional discharge.

He said: "This is a matter of grave concern to this bench.

"We understand however, that you have made strides to sort yourself out and this court wishes to encourage that.

"If you come before this court again you will be severely dealt with."

She was banned from driving for two years although she could be back on the roads in 18 months if she successfully completes a 16-hour drink driver rehabilitation course.

Kevin Shoesmith