A fifty year-old French driver who asked directions from police officers after drinking two bottles of rosé and half a litre of pastis was handed a four-month jail sentence, suspended, on Monday by Monaco’s Criminal Court.

The restaurant owner had just crossed the border into Monaco shortly after 18:30 on Friday, August 24,  when she pulled over on the blvd. du Jardin-Exotique and asked police officers for help because she was not feeling well and was concerned about the possibility of having an accident.

The officers at the scene realised that the driver was seriously intoxicated. However, because of an asthmatic condition, she was unable to provide a breath sample. The court noted that this was the first recorded incident in which a drunk driver had approached the police for help.