A CARDIGAN woman who asked a friend for a driving lesson after she had been out celebrating her birthday is “embarrassed” at being charged with drink-driving, a court has heard.

Christina Pauline Elizabeth Ball, 22, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving other than in accordance with a licence and driving without insurance after she was stopped in the early hours of Thursday, 23 March. She also admitted a charge of failing to surrender to bail when she failed to attend court on Wednesday, 12 April.

Kevin Challinor, prosecuting, said a police officer in an unmarked car had been driving behind Ball on the A484 at Cenarth shortly before 2am and noticed that Ball was driving very slowly.

While following her, the officer saw that Ball, who gave a care of address of Afallon, Brynhoffnant, was weaving across the carriageway, before she pulled into the entrance to a field and stopped.

The officer also stopped and spoke to Ball, who was in the car with a passenger. When the officer said he suspected that Ball had been drinking, she said: “I shouldn’t have been driving. I’ve had two bottles of wine. It’s my birthday.”

Mr Challinor said Ball is only a provisional licence holder and so was not insured to drive the car.

Defence solicitor Iestyn Davies said Ball had been out drinking celebrating her birthday and had asked a friend for a driving lesson ahead of her being due to start formal lessons, as she only holds a provisional licence currently.

Mr Davies said Ball had been driving “very cautiously” and that there had been no incident endangering other road users.

He said she was “very sorry and very embarrassed” about the offence.

Magistrates heard that Ball had been unable to attend court as she had no money.

Ball was banned from driving for 15 months and will pay a fine of £160 and costs of £115.