A DRINK driver crashed into the back of a police car before her husband told officers ‘sorry, my wife’s drunk!’

Alexandra Jakubaska was driving very close behind the police car after a party before she slammed into the back of it in Cheltenham Road, Evesham.

The 31-year-old of Enstone Way, Evesham, admitted driving with excess alcohol when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday following the crash on April 7 this year.

Jakubaska had been driving her Audi A4 when officers on mobile patrol became aware of her car close behind them at around 1.20am.

Nicola Ritchie, prosecuting, said: “Their attention was drawn to the vehicle because it was positioned to the far right of the lane and it was driving extremely close to the police vehicle.

“Officers created a gap as they were concerned as to the proximity of the car and, as they did so, they saw the defendant in their rear view mirror accelerate towards their car and make contact with the rear of the police vehicle.

“The passenger in the vehicle said ‘I’m sorry, my wife’s drunk’. A roadside breath test was carried out and she was arrested and taken into custody.”

The lowest of the evidential samples was 61mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, close to twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

The defendant had no previous convictions until the drink driving offence.

Elaine Atkinson, defending, said her client, a Polish national, had written a letter asking not to be disqualified from driving but had been advised that a ban was mandatory in the UK.

Ms Atkinson said: “I think it’s the first time in my professional career that I have actually dealt with someone who comes before the courts having been involved in a collision with a police car. When I say first, I mean the first with a member of the public who isn’t effectively a well-known criminal.

“This lady was at a party with her husband. She thought her husband was driving. In turned out that, in fact, he had consumed so much that he was not in a fit state at all and she thought she was okay.

“She drove behind the police car and became very nervous and, as a result, when the police car slowed down she didn’t. She bitterly regrets the fact she now has a record and you can see from her letter she is upset about it.”

Though the defendant lives and works in Evesham, Ms Atkinson said a driving ban would still present difficulties for her getting to work as her husband’s workplace was ‘in a different direction’ and he could not assist her.

Ms Atkinson said: “You may think that the situation with the police car aggravates matters. But she has not been charged with driving without due care and attention.”

Magistrates banned her from driving for 18 months, fined her £370 and ordered her to pay costs of £135.

If she completes a drink drive awareness course successfully the length of this ban will be reduced by 18 weeks.