Deborah Bohn, 55, of Old School House, Roberton, admitted driving a car on the B711 Hawick to Roberton road, near Roberton Hall, on April 17, with a breath/alcohol reading of 84 mcgs.

Police were contacted around 8.30pm after concerns over Bohn's "erratic driving.

"Officers were looking for the vehicle, when they saw her driving slowly towards her home and park at a local school.

"She was smelling of alcohol and her speech was slurred," explained procurator fiscal Viki Welton.

Bohn also admitted assaulting a police officer by kicking her on the leg at the police station.

"She was being quite difficult with the police and said she didn't want to leave her dogs," continued the fiscal.

"She was searched and told to move into the medical room, when she kicked a female officer on the leg," added Miss Welton.

"She said she was going to inform the local newspapers about the police attitude," concluded the fiscal.

Defence solicitor Colin McNab said her client usually walked her dogs near her home but, with the field full of ewes and lambs, decided to take them to a local park.

"She stopped at a friend's house on the way home and consumed alcohol," he explained.

Mr McNab said Bohn kicking the police officer happened after they were "forceful" trying to remove her rings, which had never been off her finger for some 20 years.

"In the course of the struggle, she kicked the officer on the leg," he added.

Mr McNab said his client's husband was a sea captain, who had been away overseas for some months, and she had also been leading a group involved in a wind farm near her home.

"Both these things had been stressful," he added.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond fined Bohn, a first offender, £265 and banned her from driving for 18 months.