A WOMAN who received a car as a present from her boyfriend has been banned from the roads after driving while drunk.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard today (Tuesday, December 18) that Nathan Robson, 19, bought the Ford Puma online for his girlfriend, Kirsty Henderson, 21, but it did not have an MOT certificate.

On December 6 the pair had been drinking and Henderson used the car to drive Robson home.

Police received a call that a car had hit the roundabout outside the Wheatsheaf pub in Darlington and when officers stopped it on Yarm Road, Henderson was behind the wheel and Robson was a passenger.

A breath test revealed that Henderson, of McMullen Road, Darlington, was almost twice the legal drink drive limit with 66mg of alcohol in her breath.

In court she pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving without insurance, while Robson, of Brighton Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to allowing the car to be used without an MOT certificate and without insurance.

Representing Henderson, Laura Moorby, said that both were intoxicated that night, but Henderson was less so and had been trying to look after Robson by driving him home.

For the drink driving offence, magistrates banned Henderson from driving for 18-months and fined her £110, with the option to reduce the ban by four months upon completion of a drivers’ rehabilitation course.

Court costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge were added and Henderson was fined a further £110 and had her licence endorsed with six points for driving without insurance.

Robson was fined £110, had his licence endorsed with six points and was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.