A woman who took more than 100 tablets intending to kill herself drove her Mercedes dangerously and was involved in two collisions including an incident when a cyclist was seriously hurt after he was catapulted into the air.

Angela Kavanagh was also involved in five near misses.

It turned out that she had intended to lie on the grave of her dog in North Wales and commit suicide - to join her mother.

But when she was stopped by police at Llanfairfechan she brought her plan forward and swallowed the tablets in the vehicle.

Police did not realise what she had done and allowed her on her way.

She recalled driving to Tesco at Caernarfon but then remembered nothing until she woke up in hospital.

At Mold Crown Court, it was accepted that when she took the tablets, Kavanagh, said to have suffered an acute breakdown, did not have the capacity to appreciate the risk she would pose by driving.

Her judgement was impaired at the time.

In view of that she was given a suspended prison sentence.

She was described as a broken woman who was responding well to treatment.

But one doctor said that a prison sentence could bring about a further major breakdown from which she may not be able to recover.

Kavanagh, 56, of Heybridge Lane in Prestbury, Cheshire, who shook in the dock throughout the sentencing hearing, received a 16 month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was placed on rehabilitation and was ordered to follow a six month mental health treatment plan.

She was banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended retest.

Compensation of £1,000 was awarded to the cyclist Gareth Huws, £500 to Alison Jones whose car was hit as she drove with her four children, and Kavanagh was ordered to pay £425 costs.

Prosecuting barrister Matthew Curtis told how on Tuesday May 22 last year she drove her Mercedes from her home address in Alderley Edge, Cheshire into North Wales intending to travel to her house in Penrhos, Pwllheli.

North Wales Police received reports of concern for her safety and the car was tracked via ANPR cameras.

At 15.18 police in Llanfairfechan on the A55 signalled for her to stop and she pulled into a layby.

"She appeared fine, she was in control of her vehicle and explained she was going to Penrhos for some ‘peace and quiet’ as she was going through a divorce. She appeared upset when speaking but not otherwise emotional. It was a rational conversation," he said.

The officer questioned her about some medication in the vehicle, she denied taking any and was allowed to continue her journey.

But the officer did not know that before stopping the vehicle she emptied in excess of 100 prescribed Xanax and Modafinil tablets into an empty chewing gum plastic pot and as soon as she stopped her vehicle and before police spoke to her, she swallowed all of the tablets.

Her decision to continue driving created a substantial risk of danger, particularly so after she reached Caernarfon when she was obviously affected and drove dangerously for a prolonged period, said Mr Curtis.

A witness saw her driving erratically on the A487 by Dolydd roundabout and was veering between hitting the kerb and going over centre white lines. She turned onto a slip road as if to leave the carriageway but then re-joined.

Another witness said that after Bethesda Bach on the A499 the defendant went completely onto the wrong side of the road but didn’t overtake before swerving back. She was seen to overtake vehicles on the entrance of the village of Gryn Goch and at Trefor with oncoming cars approaching.

A driver was overtaken by her at speeds of 70-80mph, with oncoming cars towards them and it appeared to go around a bend on the wrong side of the road, kicking up a lot of debris. However, as the Mercedes returned to the correct side of the road it came upon a vulnerable road user.

Mr Gareth Huws on his pedal cycle was catapulted up into the air when he was struck . The Mercedes did not attempt to stop, and did not even brake.

An ambulance happened to be passing, stopped and took Mr Huws to the emergency department at Ysbyty Gwynedd. Fortunately he survived with just tenderness, grazes and abrasions on his upper body and knees. There was some blood from cuts to the ear and wrist. Taken for X-ray, he suffered a fractured right humerus, a blackened eye and muscle damage to his right leg. The Mercedes wing mirror was found 20 yards down the road.

A witness saw her cross central white lines and Alison Jones driving a Vauxhall Zafira in the opposite direction with her four children saw the Mercedes crossing over middle white lines and into her path.

"She veered to the left to avoid a collision. However, she heard a bang and glass flew in from the her side.

Again the defendant failed to stop.

Police found her in a semi-conscious at the wheel of the running Mercedes in the gateway to an address in Penrhos. She was taken to hospital and interviewed in October 2018 she said that day she was at home, waited for daughter to leave the house and drove off.

She intended to drive to the address in Penrhos to kill herself as life was unbearable. Her husband had left her and she couldn’t function without him. She said it was a lovely day to die, she said. She put over 100 tablets out of blister packets into the car.

Kavanagh was going to take an overdose of tablets when lying next the grave of her dog. She also said she could be with her mother again. She was stopped by a police officer, and she thought her plan had been foiled. Before the officer got out of his car and approached her vehicle she was so determined to die she swallowed the contents of the chewing gum container with some water.

The defendant said she drove on, stopped at Tesco by Caernarfon to go to the toilet, and then "does not remember anything about that day from then on in. Her next recollection is waking up in hospital."

Mr Huws, who was retired, told how his confidence had been affected, He spent ten days in hospital and six months later had not been back on his bike. He had been told it would take about a year to recover.

James Scobie, QC, defending, said that his client was a broken woman who had acted completely out of character.

In her fragile mental state she intended to take her own life, brought the plan forward when stopped by police.

Ironically, if she had not been stopped, then she could have gone to the intended spot and carried out her plan.

She took the pills in the vehicle, which had not been her intention, but medical reports from the prosecution and the defence agreed that she would not have been aware of the danger she posed in her state at the time.

Thanks to the NHS at Macclesfield she was recovering gut she was climbing a steep hill and it was not getting any easier.

"She is someone who is broken and who they are trying to get back together again," he said.

The mother of three daughters was full of genuine remorse for what had happened but he said an immediate prison sentence would shatter her future.

Judge Parry said that at first blush it was a case which called for custody.

It was prolonged dangerous driving after the consumption of drugs which led to gross impairment.

She created a substantial risk of danger.

Following erratic driving she came across a cyclist, a vulnerable road user, and struck him.

She made no attempt to stop let alone help.

Witnesses had described five near misses and she failed to stop after colliding with another vehicle where the children were screaming.

"What I see is a decent lady, broken due to domestic difficulties. Your mental health was fragile. I am satisfied that on this day you decided to end your life," he said.

Her judgement was impaired by her depression and crucially when she took the tablets she was not in a position to weigh up the risk of the harm that she was causing.

Judge Parry said it was an exceptional case and the inevitable prison sentence could be properly suspended.