A drunk woman overtook an HGV by driving at 60mph in a 30 zone in front of a marked police car.
Kirsty Pounder already had a drink-driving conviction to her name when she was spotted travelling erratically on Newcastle Road, in Sunderland, one evening in December last year.
South Tyneside Magistrates' Court was told that 41-year-old had been to the pub to meet a family member of a friend who had recently died when she decided do drive home, despite consuming bottles of lager.
Passing police officers then noticed the mum speeding and swerving in the road and she was pulled over and breathalysed.
Pounder, of Newington Court, Sunderland, failed the test and later gave a reading of 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, when the legal limit is 35.
She pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and, because it was her second conviction within 10 years, was banned from the roads for three years.
Clare Irving, prosecuting, said it was 9pm on December 10 when Pounder first came to the attention of the police.
She said: "The defendant swerves within lanes and stopped at a red light. It turns green and she suddenly accelerates and goes away at speed and overtakes an HGV. The road is 30mph and she gets up to 60mph."
Officers followed Pounder as she continued to drive erratically before pulling her over.
Mark Richardson, defending, said Pounder had been struggling to deal with the death of her friend and had felt fine to drive home from the pub, despite not remembering exactly what she'd drank.
The solicitor added: "She doesn't have a problem with alcohol. She has one can of Guinness every night for the supposed health benefits. I think the problem here is her inability to cope with grief."
The court was told that Pounder intended to give-up driving as she had been made redundant and could no longer afford that £2,500-a-year insurance, which was so high because of her previous drink-driving conviction.
District Judge Kate Meek gave Pounder a 12-month community order, with 80 hours of unpaid work.
