Drunk-driver drove wrong way along motorway while three times over limit

Court: Sentencing was deferred until June 7.© STV

A woman drove the wrong way down a motorway while nearly three times the drink-driving limit before crashing into another car.

Drivers had to swerve to avoid Carol Tuddenham's Mini after she joined the M876 near Denny and set off "at speed" in the wrong direction in the face of oncoming traffic on October 22, 2011.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard she eventually came to a halt after hitting another car, slightly injuring its driver, Lee McKinnon.

Tuddenham was arrested and gave a blood sample that proved on analysis to contain 233 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres, 2.91 times the legal limit of 80.

The 53-year-old, of Kersegreen Road, Clackmannan pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving. Her not guilty plea to failing to cooperate with a preliminary breath test was accepted by the prosecution.

Gordon Addison, defending, asked for the case to be deferred for background reports.

Sheriff John Mundy continued the case until June 7 for a criminal justice social work report, which will include an assessment of Tuddenham's ability to carry out unpaid work as a possible direct alternative to a prison sentence.

He imposed an immediate interim driving ban, and told Tuddenham: "I want a background report into you. It's important you co-operate fully with the social workers."

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