Motorist Lindsay McIntee left Southend Magistrates' Court in tears when she failed to convince justices she got drunk after deserting her car.

McIntee, of Waarden Road, Canvey, was found guilty of drink driving and banned from the road for two years.

She also landed hefty legal fees including a £250 fine, £350 in court costs and a £1,040 legal aid bill.

Magistrates ruled evidence from the 23-year-old - along with the testimony from her mother Jean Wheatley - was not "credible".

In evidence, McIntee said she went to Kings nightclub and drank two-and-a-half Barcardi Breezers.

A breath test showed McIntee had 83mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35.

McIntee claimed she drank a small bottle of rum which was three-quarters full when she got home between 1.30am and 1.40am.

Chairman of the bench Rupert Everett dismissed her evidence and said: "We don't accept there was any post-driving consumption of alcohol."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.