A WREXHAM woman has been fined and banned after a drink-drive collision.

Sami Meechin, of Bright Street, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

The 30-year-old admitted that on March 17, she drove a Volkswagen motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in her breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court that on the day in question, police were alerted to a collision in Croesnewydd Road in Wrexham.

On arrival at the scene, officers found a VW Golf abandoned in the road with a punctured tyre.

The radio was still on and the keys were in the ignition.

People were gathered at the side of the road and one of them identified himself to officers as the owner of the vehicle.

He told them it had been his partner, Meechin, who had been driving.

The defendant was subsequently found and breath-tested.

Her evidential reading revealed 85 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

Lorraine McClure, defending, told the court: "This young lady has no previous convictions.

"She was fully compliant with the police when they attended."

Ms McClure said there had been a "slight backstory" to the incident - in that Meechin had been out with her partner that evening when they got into an argument.

"She wanted to go home," Ms McClure said, "and she drove from the address to their home.

"When she spoke to the police she explained it was only a short distance and she knew she shouldn't have got in the car.

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"The accident happened because the argument continued in the car.

"The partner, sitting in the back seat, grabbed hold of her shoulders and neck when she was driving and as a result she clipped the kerb.

"She decided to remove herself from the situation and it was agreed she would be taken home by her sister's partner while the partner waited with the vehicle to answer questions and deal with the incident.

The Leader:

"Clearly she had been drinking - thankfully no one was hurt.

"She tells me she works with her family in the restaurant they own."

The Magistrates handed down a fine of £191 and ordered Meechin to pay costs of £85, as well as a £76 victim surcharge.

She received a driving ban of 20 months.