A woman who teaches young offenders about alcohol awareness has been banned from driving for 12 months for driving while over the limit, despite friends admitting they spiked her drinks with vodka during a Christmas night out in Kingston.

Susan Evans, 28, of Cambridge Road, Walton, told Kingston magistrates she could lose her house because the disqualification endangered her job teaching at a Staines charity, and would leave her unable to commute to a second job as a pastry chef.

Evans pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit, but told Kingston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 27, there were special reasons why she should not lose her licence.

The court heard police noticed a Renault Clio with a defective brake light weaving across the lanes of Kingston’s one-way system at about 2.45am on December 28, 2009.

Breath and blood tests at Kingston police station showed Evans was narrowly over the drink-drive limit.

Evans, representing herself, admitted she had drunk a Red Bull, coke and vodka at about 9.30pm, and had downed most of a glass of rose wine at 2.30am, shortly before leaving the Acorn pub.

She said she was later told friends had spiked her drinks.

Hayley Morgan, an administrative worker who was with Evans on the night, admitted helping lace two Red Bulls with single shots of vodka, and one with a double shot.

She said: “Suzie asked for a Red Bull and I went to the bar and asked for a single shot of vodka in the Red Bull.

"Suzie was unaware I put the alcohol in her drink. I did not know she was driving at that point, otherwise I would not have given her the alcohol.

"We wanted to cheer her up because she was a bit down, but she was adamant she did not want to drink.”

James Benson, prosecuting, told magistrates Evans should have told her friends the reason she was not drinking, and said: “I am going to suggest any double measure has a particular kick to it and you would notice it.”

After deliberating for an hour, magistrates told a visibly shocked Evans she should have detected the alcohol, banned her from driving for a year and fined her £335 plus costs.

Lead magistrate Anna Troiano said: “It was the defendant’s responsibility to make clear the reason she was not drinking was because she was driving – and she did not do so.

"We do not find this case has special reasons."