Salt and vinegar chips no match for Wagga teen's four Double Blacks

Kamarah woman Mikayla Arnall, 19, was convicted on one count of driving with a mid-range drink-driving in the Wagga Local Court on Wednesday.

About 9.45pm on March 3, police were called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Lake Albert Road at the intersection with Main Street in Lake Albert.

On arrival, police approached the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Arnall, noticing that her speech was slow, she was unsteady on her feet and her face was flushed.

But when police told Arnall they would be conducting a mandatory breath test, she became emotional.

Arnall admitted to consuming alcohol, but after failing to provide a sufficient sample for the roadside device, police arrested her and took her to Wagga Police Station where a subsequent result returned a reading of 0.096, almost twice the legal limit.

Arnall told police she consumed four 375mL cans of Smirnoff Double Blacks from about 6pm until 8pm that day, eating just one small packet of salt and vinegar chips during that time.

Representing herself in the Wagga Local Court on Wednesday, Arnall pleaded guilty to the offence and admitted to Magistrate Rebecca Hosking she did the wrong thing.

"I know I did the wrong thing and I deserve anything I get," she said.

Arnall told the court the circumstance unfolded after she became "really excited" from seeing two friends, one of which she hadn't seen in six years.

"I didn't stop to think... I shouldn't have...[driven]," Arnall said.

"I got in my car and just kind of went, and it happened... boom."

Magistrate Hosking told her the messaging is clear about drink driving and that getting behind the car wheel while under the influence of alcohol is "like a weapon."

"You are putting members of the community at risk," Magistrate Hosking said.

The court heard Arnall is currently unemployed, and Magistrate Hosking noted that prior to this offence, she had a clean record.

"It's the first matter on your criminal and traffic record, but you've started with a bang," Magistrate Hosking said, adding that it was "really lucky no one was harmed".

The magistrate took into account Arnall's remorse and recognition at what she had done and announced her sentence, recording a conviction and suspending her licence for three months.

After that ends, Arnall was ordered to hold an interlock driver licence for 12 months and also fined $330.

"You have age on your side... there is a whole big world out there, and I hope when you walk out this door that you think about not wanting to come back and how drugs and alcohol are not really assisting your life," Magistrate Hosking said.