A UKRAINIAN national who emigrated to the UK because of the war has been sentenced for drink driving.

Oksana Kovalyuk, of Chapel Street in Dalton, was asked to conduct a roadside breath test by officers after she crashed her Nissan Micro in a BMW on the A5092 near Spark Bridge.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court heard officers were called to the area following a 999 call reporting a road traffic collision.

Lee Dacre, prosecuting the case on July 29, said the 45-year-old woman was arrested after she provided a positive sample.

He said the lowest reading was 48 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The court heard the defendant had no previous convictions.

Representing the defendant, Harriet Eglington said her client was ‘unsure’ as to why alcohol would be in her system.

Miss Eglington told the court: “She came to the United Kingdom in April 2022 after emigrating to Poland following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She teaches English in Barrow and Kendal and works ADHOC as an interpreter.

“She still has family in Ukraine, which causes her a great deal of worry.

“On the day in question, she was tired after working all day and had gone out to fill up petrol when she had a lapse in concentration and collided with the other vehicle.

“She does not know why the readings at the roadside showed there was alcohol in her system but she pleads guilty today because she realises she would be unable to persuade the court as to why this was the case.

“She is embarrassed to find herself before the court and is now worried about maintaining her job in Kendal.”

As a result of her guilty plea at the first opportunity, magistrates fined Kovalyuk £276 and banned her from driving for a period of 12 months.

She was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £110 and court costs of £85.