A WOMAN who had been dumped by her boyfriend stopped and bought wine as she drove home.

Blackburn magistrates heard Susan Rogers admitted drinking a bottle of wine before crashing into a road sign.

She was later found to be more than three times the legal drink-drive limit.

Rogers, 54, of Sussex Road, Rishton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. She was sentenced to eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs. She was banned for four years after the court heard she had a drink driving conviction in 2017.

Passing sentence Deputy District Judge Roger Lowe said someone of the defendant's age and intelligence should have known better.

"At 7pm you were driving your car in circumstances were you couldn't control it," said Deputy District Judge Lowe.

"You collided with a road sign but that could easily have been the lady walking her dog who witnessed the incident."

Scott Parker, prosecuting, said the dog walker heard the impact between the car and a 20mph sign. She saw the car reverse and then drive down Sussex Road where it stopped.

"As she walked down Sussex Road she could see the driver had got out of the car and had one of the headlights in her hand," said Mr Parker. "She was attempting to put it back in the car."

He said the witness suspected Rogers had been drinking and walked further up the road and called the police.

As she was on the phone Rogers got back in the car drove further up the road and parked on the drive of her home.

"She remained in the car and a police officer who arrived on the scene said she smelled strongly of drink," said Mr Parker.

"She couldn't communicate with the officer who was asking simple questions."

Ben Leach, defending, said it was clear his client did not deal well with emotional turmoil.

He said the 2017 conviction had come after the breakdown of her marriage which led to her turning to alcohol to such an extent that she was hospitalised.

"She was in a coma and on one occasion her mother was called to the hospital because they thought she may not make it through the night," said Mr Leach.

He said on the day of the most recent incident his client had finished work and gone to her partner's home. She thought they were going to sort out their problems.

"She was met with the opposite," said Mr Leach.

"He had reached the decision the relationship was over and there was no hope of reconciliation.

"She reacted badly and stopped at the supermarket and bought wine on the way home."