A 26-YEAR-OLD who drank four pints of lager before crashing into two parked cars has been banned from driving for nearly two years.

Bethany Shepherd admitted in court that she took her partner’s car and drove to The Blue Bell Inn, in Bishopton, near Stockton, where she drank enough to make her more than twice over the legal drink-drive limit.

Police were called to The Green, in Bishopton village, at around 2.15am on October 13, after Shepherd ploughed her partner’s Vauxhall Astra into two other cars.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday how Shepherd, of Butterfield Drive, Eaglescliffe, caused “substantial damage” to all cars involved in the crash.

A Crown Prosecution Service statement read in court said: “She held only a provisional licence and has never held a full driving licence.

“She was named on the policy on the insurance of her partner’s car, but the licence she was driving with and driving alone made that redundant. She told her partner she was a full licence holder and that was why she had permission to drive it. It seems as if she’s had a lot of explaining to do.”

The 26-year-old, who represented herself, told the court she was "incredibly sorry".

Shepherd pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence. She was banned from driving for 20 months and fined £244.