A mother-of-four who drove a van at her partner with two children in the vehicle following an argument has avoided prison.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how Inga Komkait, 40, chased her partner who was walking down Fir Lane in Lowestoft in a white van on Friday, July 26 around 12.30pm.

Witnesses saw Komkait, of Oxford Road, Lowestoft, who they described as being heavily intoxicated, arguing with her partner before getting into her vehicle.

The mother was seen driving on the wrong side of the road at low speed towards her partner as he walked away on the pavement, with two of her youngest children, aged six and three, in the vehicle.

Komkait, who works as a carer, then mounted the kerb and nudged her partner three or four times near the Norman Warrior pub.

Witnesses were concerned for the man's safety and at one point heard him "yelp", the court heard.

He ended up on the floor at one stage and the van appeared to go over him, according to witnesses.

It was not clear if the man, who did not support prosecution, suffered any injuries in the incident, the court heard.

Komkait then left the scene and returned in a black Audi without her children and was arrested after police arrived.

Officers said she smelled of alcohol but Komkait failed to give a roadside breath test.

Komkait did blow 52 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath at the police station but refused to give a second reading, leading to a charge of failing to provide a specimen of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Komkait previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen at Norfolk Magistrates' Court on September 4.

In police interview, she admitted she had been drinking wine and that the vehicle struck her partner by accident.

Folashade Abiodun, defending, said: "If she could have her time again, she would not have acted in the way she did.

"The couple had been arguing consistently for two or three days leading up to the incident."

Sentencing Komkait on Thursday, Judge Emma Peters said: "What you did was incredibly dangerous and with your children in the vehicle watching, it was also grossly irresponsible."

Judge Peters sentenced Komkait to 14 months' imprisonment for dangerous driving and three months in prison for failing to provide a specimen of breath. The concurrent sentences were suspended for two years.

Komkait was also banned from driving for three years, ordered to undertake 180 hours of unpaid work and must pay £415 in costs.