A DRINK-DRIVER more than six times over the limit mounted a pavement and almost struck a pedestrian.

The woman was walking on a pathway with a friend when the car missed her by just a few feet, struck a wall and ended up in a field.

Heavily-intoxicated Caroline Paton, from Dunfermline, swerved about the road before crashing near Inverkeithing.

Paton, 50, a nurse, of Kyle Crescent, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

She admitted previously that on June 1, on the B981 North Road, Inverkeithing, she drove a car dangerously when intoxicated.

She veered across the carriageway, lost control of the vehicle, mounted a kerb, travelled on the pavement in close proximity to a pedestrian and struck a wall, causing extensive damage to the vehicle and injury to herself.

She also admitted she drove having consumed excess alcohol. Her reading was 456 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine, the legal limit being 67 milligrammes.

Depute fiscal Jill Currie said the incident occurred at around 9.15pm. One of the women out for a walk heard a noise from behind her and thought it was a cyclist approaching.

She turned around and saw the car miss her narrowly.

The court was told Paton was a mother-of-four, had worked in public service for 30 years as a nurse and could give no explanation for her actions. She has been working in a university teaching post recently.

Sheriff Charles Macnair told Paton it was only by luck she was not in the High Court facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

He added: “The only thing that is keeping you out of prison is your lack of record and your lengthy period of good service to the community.”

He imposed a community payback order with 165 hours of unpaid work. He also banned her from driving for two years and until she passes the extended driving test.