A MONMOUTH woman who suffered severe facial injuries after her car ended up in a ditch at The Buckholt was more than three times over the legal limit to drive, Abergavenny Magistrates heard last week.

The court heard that Jane Louise Gooding had felt she would be fine to drive after drinking a couple of vodka and tonics on the morning of December 27th but the high reading showed she had miscalculated.

Mrs Gooding, who is aged 39, of Glynwood, Buckholt, pleaded guilty to drinking and driving. She was banned for 30 months (reduced by six months on completion of the drivers' rehabilitation scheme) and fined £500.

Prosecuting, Ms Jean Munton said that when PC Rees arrived at the scene of the accident on the A446 Monmouth/Hereford Road he saw a Diahatsu vehicle lying upright in a wide ditch at the side of the road.

Mrs Gooding was at the scene and had sustained severe facial injuries. She was taken by ambulance to hospital where a blood sample was taken for analysis. This produced a reading of 245 milligrams of alcohol in blood, the legal limit being 80.

Mr Roger James, defending, told the Magistrates that Mrs Gooding was a person of clean character in every facet. Coming to court for the first time at the age of 40 was a very traumatic experience for her.

The accident had itself been traumatic as she was badly injured and had to been re-admitted for hospital treatment to have internal and external stitches put in properly. She had also suffered pneumonia, arising as a result of the accident, and was in hospital for 10 days.

"The whole episode has been a big learning curve for Mrs Gooding," said Mr James.

It arose, he said, during the Christmas period when Mrs Gooding had been celebrating with family and friends. On the morning of the 27th some friends came over and Mrs Gooding drunk only a couple of vodka and tonics. She considered herself fine to drive down into the town centre.

The accident happened on a notorious blackspot near The Buckholt. There was black ice on the road which caused Mrs Gooding to lose control although because of the high alcohol reading she accepted that her judgement must have been impaired.

With a background of no previous convictions, she was unlikely to benefit from probation or a community based penalty. The whole episode could be adequately discharged by way of disqualification and a fine, said Mr James

"She's already on a knife edge about having to come to court and I would ask the court to deal with it on the basis that it's a one-off."