Police prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson said police received a complaint from other motorists about Watkins-Barlow's driving manner about 12.30am on November 16.
When they caught up with her a short time later outside McDonald's on Chapel St, her car was parked on the footpath across the entrance to the restaurant's carpark, Mr Wilson said.
"She thought it was the carpark."
Mr Wilson said Watkins-Barlow admitted to the officers she had been drinking but originally refused a breath test until she was arrested and taken back to the police station for processing.
"She was abusive to staff throughout the entire process," he said.
Defence lawyer Peter Stevens requested the court seek a drug and alcohol report to assist the court at sentencing for his client.
Judge Barbara Morris ordered the report be completed and remanded Watkins-Barlow on bail for sentencing on January 21.
Meanwhile, the judge banned her from driving until sentencing.
The day after Watkins-Barlow was arrested, a Martinborough dairy farmer was also caught by police driving with "an extremely high reading".
Jamie Alastair Boyle, 25, was stopped at a police checkpoint and blew a alcohol reading of 965mcg.
Judge Morris said it was a dangerous level.
"It was an extremely high reading ... you could have easily caused a tragedy," she said.
"This is out of character for you."
She convicted Boyle and sentenced him to nine months' supervision with an order to undergo drug and alcohol counselling.
She also disqualified him from driving for nine months.
