A driver crashed her car at a McDonald’s drive-thru - then handed police the empty bottle of vodka she’d drunk.
Millie Pearce, 20, had driven to the Leeds Road restaurant because she woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry despite being twice over the legal limit.
She then became distracted after a driver in the queue wolf whistled, hit his car and police were called.
She admitted being drunk and presented the officers with the miniature bottle of vodka she’d had earlier.
Pearce, a carer whose job involves driving disabled children, pleaded guilty to driving while over the prescribed limit.
A member of the public called police about the crash involving Pearce’s Citroen C1 and a Golf at the McDonald’s restaurant shortly before 3am on June 10.
Alex Bozman, prosecuting, told Kirklees Magistrates’ Court: “She said she’d drunk a bottle of vodka, two beers and a small vodka.
“Then she showed the bottle to the officers, which didn’t help her particularly, and said she didn’t normally drink.”
Pearce was arrested after failing a roadside breath test and taken to Huddersfield Police Station.
There further breath tests showed that she had 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This was more than twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Daniel Metcalfe, mitigating, said that Pearce had no previous convictions and felt ashamed at her actions.
He told magistrates: “She doesn’t typically drink but had been at her uncle’s 50th birthday party.
“She got a taxi home from there and went to bed but woke up in the early hours of the morning and felt fine but hungry.
“Then she took the poor decision to drive to McDonald’s to get some food. While she was there the chap driving the Golf she nudged into began wolf whistling at her and she was phased by his actions.
“She’s ashamed and upset at being here today and has genuine remorse for the situation she finds herself in.”
Magistrates were told that Pearce, of Nursery Lodge in Dalton, is a care worker and part of her job involves driving disabled children to various activities.
They heard that she was about to take a test to be able to drive a minibus for her work.
Mr Metcalfe said that her employers were surprised about her court appearance but will try to find other roles for her to do.
Chairwoman of the bench Kathryn Beney told Pearce: “You were very fortunate that nobody was hurt. I realise you are an inexperienced drinker but the only safe limit is no drinking at all.
“You made an error of judgement and the consequences are going to haunt you for years and years to come, any time you get your car insured.”
Magistrates banned Pearce from driving for 20 months.
She will have to pay £248 fine, £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge.
