A WOMAN who crashed her car while nearly five times the legal drink-drive limit has been given a suspended prison sentence.

District judge Nigel Hodkinson told Julia Murray, aged 39, that she could have run someone over – and probably wouldn't even have noticed.

However, he suspended the jail term after hearing that the mother was an alcoholic and long-term victim of domestic abuse.

Plymouth Magistrates' Court heard that Murray drove into two parked cars and railings near her home while she was driving to a supermarket to buy more alcohol.

Murray, of Luxmore Close, Leigham, was found to have 171 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of her breath. The legal limit is 35.

Mr Hodkinson said: "At nearly five times the limit, you probably didn't know what you were doing.

"If you had run someone over you probably would not have noticed.

"It could have been one of your children."

Murray admitted driving with excess alcohol and racially-aggravated threatening behaviour on August 10. Murray insulted a police officer of Chinese origin who came to arrest her.

Sonia Oldakowska, prosecuting, said that a witness saw Murray reversing her Vauxhall Astra in Luxmore Close at about 11pm on August 10. She saw the car hit railings and two parked vehicles.

An earlier hearing was told that the defendant's son got out of the passenger's seat and directed her 'out of the collision'.

Police were called and were said to have found her staggering and having trouble standing up.

The court heard that Murray had a previous conviction for excess alcohol but it was more than 10 years ago.

John Major, for Murray, said that she was only going a short distance at the time to the nearby Asda supermarket. The earlier hearing was told that she was going to buy more alcohol.

Mr Major said: "She suffers from an illness. She drinks too much.

"She is an alcoholic in relation to wine."

He added that she had not drunk any wine since the crash, though she might have had small amounts of other drink.

Mr Major said: "This lady has been subject to domestic violence for some 10 years."

The court heard that Murray was seeing the Harbour drink and drugs advisory service and also in contact with social workers.

Mr Hodkinson, after reading a probation report into her background, jailed her for four months but suspended the term for a year.

He made her subject to a supervision order for 12 months where she must attend appointments with the Probation Service.

She was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay £60 prosecution costs.