An 83-year-old drink-driver caused a head-on crash in Fakenham which left a motorcyclist with serious injuries, a court heard.

King's Lynn Magistrates' Court heard on Monday how Maureen Patricia Corrigan's Skoda Fabia crossed double white lines into the opposite carriageway and collided with a van and motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction on the A1065, just before 4pm on September 28 last year.

Prosecutor Victoria Bastock said: 'The rider of the motorcycle suffered a fractured right hip, punctured lung, fractured wrist and a cut to the head.'

Corrigan gave a positive roadside breath test and was arrested and a later evidential test showed she had 96 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood; the legal limit is 80.

Miss Bastock said it was Corrigan's second drink-driving offence, following a previous conviction in 2004.

Retired nurse Corrigan, of Stanhope Road, Bircham Tofts, between Fakenham and Snettisham, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

In mitigation, solicitor Ruth Johnson said her client had been drinking white wine earlier in the day and used the car to complete her final task of a list of things to do.

Miss Johnson said: 'She hadn't necessarily appreciated the amount of alcohol she had had.

'The error she made on the bend resulted in extremely unfortunate injuries for which she has deep regret.

'It's caused her an enormous amount of stress and trauma. To say she is mortified is an understatement.'

Miss Johnson said, after retirement in 1996, Corrigan had continued in a caring role and was hoping to carry on with that.

Corrigan was disqualified from driving for 14 months, which can be reduced by 14 weeks with successful completion of her second drink-drivers' rehabilitation course.

She was also fined £440 and told to pay £85 costs and £44 victim surcharge.

Chairman of the bench Bill Hush said: 'We have avoided the temptation to say it was an unfortunate accident because you have experience of drink-driving, albeit 15 years ago.

'Given your background as a healthcare worker you perhaps should have had a bit more regard for the public.'