A folk singer who drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway for six miles while drunk has been spared prison - despite having a previous conviction for drink driving.

Zinta Marchant – known by her stage name Zinta Egle - downed a bottle of wine before travelling along the A249 in snowy conditions.

When she was eventually forced to stop by police, officers said she was unable to stand up or speak clearly.

But the 47-year-old, of Melford Road, Faversham, escaped going to prison, despite her conviction seven years ago.

The sentencing comes after several men were given jail time for similar offences.

Stephen Williams, of Mockett Court in Frederick Street, Sittingbourne, was jailed for a year for driving the wrong way over the Sheppey Crossing after downing a bottle of vodka.

Christopher Clement, of Warham Grove, Orpington, was jailed for five years and four months after he killed his best friend when he drove the wrong way down the M20 while under the influence of drink and drugs.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly told Maidstone Crown Court that Marchant was described by police officers as being “spaced out and slurring her speech”.

She was breathalysed and tests revealed she was almost two-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Connolly told how at midnight on February 1 this year police were travelling northbound in the first lane of the A249 towards the Sheppey Crossing when they were alerted to Marchant's car.

He said: “The officers described the road conditions as poor because it had been snowing, sleeting and raining that evening.

“They saw Marchant’s vehicle travelling towards them in lane two on the wrong side, and other vehicles were having to take evasive action.”

Officers turned their vehicle around and put its emergency lights on, but Marchant's car continued to travel at approximately 30mph as other drivers passed at high speed.

Marchant, who admitted driving dangerously and drink driving, ignored a number of slip-roads and lay-bys.

Other officers then closed a roundabout ahead, forcing her to halt after she drove more than six miles in the wrong carriageway.

“She appeared to be spaced out, her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet when she came out of the vehicle," Mr Connolly added.

Adrian Rohard, defending, said Marchant was "very remorseful" for her actions.

He said Marchant – who has appeared with bands including Carmine and Zinta, and the Zoots, was looking after her ill parents.

“She appeared to be spaced out, her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet when she came out of the vehicle..." - prosecutor Dominic Connolly

“She was the carer for her mother, who died in March, and now cares for her 79-year-old father and tried to prevent them from going into a care home," he said.

Mr Rohard added that the day before the incident her mother had been told by doctors they were stopping her treatment.

In order to deal with this, the defendant had started drinking and downed a couple of glasses of wine.

Mr Rohard said she was expecting her husband, Simon, and sister, Ramona – who were both in court for the hearing –to collect her.

“She left, got into her car having no idea where she was going," he said. "She just had to get out. She bought a bottle of wine at a service station and drove to Sittingbourne, where she parked up and drank some of the wine."

Marchant then believed she fell asleep and when she woke discovered she had a number of missed calls and feared something had happened to her parents.

“It was dark and she didn’t know the roads and was lost," Mr Rohard said. "She realised she was in the wrong lane and decided to drive slowly with her hazard lights on.

“When the police pulled alongside she was relieved as she thought they were escorting her to safety."

Marchant received a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was banned from driving for three years.

Judge Philip St John-Stevens told her that anyone would be “appalled, horrified at what possibly could have happened”.

He added: “They might think there should be significant deterrent punishment for such an extraordinary act of dangerous driving.”

The judge told the weeping singer, who performs with accomplished harpist Ramona, that she had shown “great remorse” and was regarded as a “caring person”.

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