The magic touch of the lawyer dubbed "Mr Loophole" was not enough to save Caprice today from a year-long ban for being drunk behind the wheel. Now her solicitor may take aim at a national newspaper for its reporting of the case.

Caprice, whose real name is Caprice Bourret, was stopped by police in the early hours on December 10 last year while driving her Mercedes convertible in central London. She admitted drinking a bottle-and-a-half of red wine at lunch and several glasses at an evening party. A breath test revealed she had 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit is 35.

The California-born model was today sentenced at the Highbury Magistrates' Court to a 12-month driving ban and £1000 fine. District Judge Emma Arbuthnot also ordered her to pay £2500 in costs, but said that if she underwent a rehabilitation course the ban could be shortenened to nine months.

"She was a drunk driver who must have known that she was at risk of being over the limit," the judge said. "She drank, took the risk and got caught."

Caprice, 34, expressed her regret outside the court. "Obviously I'm really upset at the whole incident. I had to disclose a lot of personal information and for me it was a really painful experience. Hopefully people will learn from my experience. Do not drink and drive, that's all I have to say."

Nick Freeman, a lawyer known for getting clients such as David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson and Ronnie O'Sullivan cleared on technicalities, had argued that Caprice should escape the mandatory minimum one-year driving ban for a first drink-driving offence because she had been taking an antibiotic, Cipro, to tackle cystitis, and it had worsened the affects of the alcohol.

He described the judge's decision as a "disappointing result".

But the colourful lawyer may not be settling for this rare defeat. It emerged in court that Caprice may take legal action against The Daily Mail over an article published about her earlier this week.

Mr Freeman drew the article to the attention of the judge, but she said she had not read it and did not read the newspaper.

Explore Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Law Reports

• Student Law

Times Recommends

• Linklaters trounces rivals as UK's biggest firm
• Clifford Chance profits plunge 37 per cent
• Casual drinkers hit by spread of 'dry' zones