A witness who saw a woman crash her car ignored the driver’s request to help her “do a runner” and take her home, and was still at the scene when police arrived shortly afterwards.

Before Truro magistrates Hannah Marie Lawrence, aged 24, of Trolvus Vean, Longdowns, Penryn, pleaded guilty to drink driving at Treluswell on March 29, when she registered 84 mcg, more than twice the legal limit.

Alison May, for the CPS, said Lawrence, who had no previous convictions, had been seen crashing her car at 8.45pm, overturning it and blocking the road.

A witness, who saw her crawling backwards out of the door with steam coming from the car, said the defendant had asked her: “Please can you help me do a runner and take me home to my parents in Longdowns?”

Lawrence told the police later she had been out to “have a good time” in a pub because it was her birthday. She had been driving alone when her car clipped a kerb and flipped over.

She told the police: “I have had one too many and I am sorry.”

Lawrence, a shop assistant, was fined £200 and £105 costs and surcharge and banned from driving for 20 months.