Last Saturday, June 28, Fiona Porter, 24, with an address at Ballygrennan Close, Moyross, returned to her home to discover her mother had been having an affair with her husband for two years.

The court heard that the mother of three children, who has seven previous convictions, was so devastated at what she discovered that she breached her disqualification from driving.

Solicitor John Devane said his client's life has been "shattered beyond belief" and that the reason she was drink-driving on the night in question was due to the affair.

"Ms Porter arrived home to find her husband in bed with her mother. She had started to get to grips with her disqualification – from driving – but her life was completely shattered when she found that her husband was having an affair. The reason she drank and drive was that the person she thought she could believe in the most was having an affair. All trust she had in her loved ones has gone," said Mr Devane.

At around 2.40am she was stopped by Sgt Peter Kelly in Thomondgate after he saw that one of the tyres on the vehicle was deflated. He observed there was a strong smell of alcohol from her breath and she was brought to Henry Street garda station, where she was charged with drink-driving, and driving without a licence and insurance. He confirmed that this sequence of events was also explained to gardai at the time of her arrest.

Ms Porter made no reply to the charges and an intoxalyser reading later revealed there was 73mg of alcohol on her breath. Sgt Kelly said she was fully co-operative with gardai at the time of her arrest, and Mr Devane added that she pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity.

Mr Devane called on Judge Aeneas McCarthy to be as lenient as possible in his sentencing given "this most unusual set of circumstances."

Judge McCarthy sentenced Ms Porter to four months imprisonment, which he suspended on condition that she be of good behaviour for a period of two years. He also imposed a six-year ban from driving. Charges for failing to supply an insurance certificate and a driving licence were struck out.