A woman passed out behind the wheel of her car and crashed into a bridge while more than eight times over the drink-drive limit.

Florist Christina Lochhead was found drifting in and out of consciousness by members of the public after the crash on the B9099 at Caputh, Perthshire, on May 25 last year.

The 28-year-old was given a breath test and produced a reading of 177mics. The legal limit is 22 mics.

A trial at Perth Sheriff Court heard she failed to provide a second reading at the roadside after claiming to have suffered a panic attack.

Sheriff Richard MacFarlane said: "If there had been a true reading then it would have been a very, very significant level of alcohol.

"You had seen fit to undertake two journeys when you had consumed a very considerable amount of alcohol.

"These journeys came to a conclusion when you crashed into the railings on a bridge.

"You were found by concerned members of public, drifting in and out of consciousness as a result of alcohol consumption and not any injury sustained in the impact."

The court was told Lochhead got into her car twice to drive to a nearby shop before crashing into the bridge at around 1pm.

Sheriff MacFarlane added: "At 3.15pm, a roadside breath test produced a reading of 177 mics. In the definitive test at 4.20pm you were able to produce one breath specimen and that was 174 mics.

"You failed without reasonable excuse to provide a second specimen. There seemed to be no evidence of you experiencing a panic attack.

"There wasn't a shred of evidence that seemed to approach that situation."

Lochhead, from Murthly, Perthshire, was found guilty of failing to provide two specimens of breath for analysis after driving on the B9099 at Caputh in Perthshire on May 25 last year.

She was banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to carry out 250 hours' unpaid work in the community.