A PREGNANT mother of two children was disqualified from driving for nine months after pleading guilty to failing to provide a breath test.

Inga Hickman, of Abbey Road, Pershore, was also handed a £385 fine at Worcester Magistrates Court .

The court was told the 31-year-old had been suffering from stress and anxiety when she crashed her white Audi A4 into a Ford Focus, shunting it into a silver Vauxhall Zafira on July 4. When police officers arrived at Abbey Road, three witnesses reported they had seen the female driver leave the scene.

Magistrates were told that at about 12.55am a woman matching the description given by witnesses approached the car in a wet and bedraggled state with a graze that was bleeding. She was unsteady on her feet and officers noted when they spoke to her she had a glazed and vacant stare and was eventually identified as Hickman.

The court was told she was extremely obstructive but did carry out a roadside breath test which showed 73mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

However, when she was taken to Worcester police station she refused to supply details, was obstructive to officers and failed to supply the required second breath sample.

Mark Lister, defending, said she had been confused in her mind as to what happened on the night in question and accepted her behaviour fell below what might have been expected.

He said: “She has a seven-month-old daughter and the incident happened three months ago when the child was very young. “She had been under a lot of stress and anxiety following the birth of her child.”

A supporting letter from her doctor was handed over to magistrates.

Magistrate Heather Osborne told Hickman: “We have taken into account your guilty plea and what has been said about your state of mind. However, this is a very serious matter and we have no option but to disqualify you from driving.”

Hickman, who is three months pregnant with her third child, was also ordered to pay £150 costs and £15 victim surcharge.