A WOMAN has been slapped with a mammoth six-year driving ban after being sentenced by the courts.

Sonya Thompson was involved in an ‘extremely bad’ crash, failing to stop and then driving off with her car in a condition posing a risk to other road users.

The 43-year-old was sentenced at Warrington Magistrates’ Court recently after admitting failing to stop after a road accident and using a vehicle in a condition likely to cause danger of injury.

She also pleaded guilty to drug driving, drink driving and assault by beating of an emergency worker.

The court heard from Lynne Sayers, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, how all of the offences were committed on October 25 last year.

Thompson was driving a black Vauxhall Astra on the M6 heading northbound through Warrington when she was involved in a crash.

Damage was caused to both hers and another vehicle, but the defendant failed to stop and proceeded to drive her car with a damaged front end, in such a condition that its use involved a danger of injury to other road users.

Not only this, but she was found to have a proportion of the controlled drug benzoylecgonine, which is the main metabolite of cocaine, in her system.

Moreover, a blood test found that she had 228 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – putting her almost three times the legal limit.

Thompson also admitted assaulting a male police officer by beating him.

Before sentencing, the court remarked that the case was too serious for anything other than a custodial sentence.

It was said that the defendant had committed serious offences under the influence of drink and drugs, was involved in an ‘extremely bad car crash’ and had assaulted a public servant doing his job and duty.

However, considering her guilty pleas and a positive determination by the Probation Service that she is a ‘realistic prospect for rehabilitation’, the sentence was suspended.

Thompson, of John Street in Ellesmere Port, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for two years.

She was also disqualified from driving for 76 months, or six years and four months, and ordered to pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £620.