United Airlines Flight Attendant Was Reportedly 10 Times Over Legal Alcohol Limit, Drank Vodka to ‘Calm Down’

A United Airlines flight attendant working a transatlantic flight to London was reportedly ten times over the legal alcohol limit during the trip, local police have confirmed to PEOPLE. 

According to a report from the Daily Mail, confirmed to PEOPLE by the U.K.’s Metropolitan Police, 56-year-old flight attendant Margit Lake was transported to a local hospital after arriving at London’s Heathrow Airport on Oct. 17. 

The woman allegedly drank “multiple miniature bottles” of vodka after sneaking them onto the 10-hour flight from San Francisco. 

In court proceedings heard by the outlet, paramedics reported the California woman had low blood pressure and they smelled “alcohol on her breath.”

A blood test later revealed Lake had 216 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, which is more than ten times the legal limit of 20 mg for U.K. flight attendants, per the BBC.

According to Daily Mail, in court, Lake’s attorney Ben Lansbury said the defendant was feeling “isolated,” had been “dealing with grief” and was estranged from her family.

“She had the alcohol because she needed to calm down. It was something of a shock to her as to what happened. She deeply regrets what happened,” Lansbury said. “Ms. Lake has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous almost daily since the last hearing. She is supported by colleagues here in the U.K. and they sit in the back of the court.”

A representative for the U.K.’s Ministry of Justice confirmed to PEOPLE that Lake was charged with performing “an aviation function when alcohol in breath/blood/urine over prescribed limit.”

However, the woman was not sentenced to jail time.

Magistrate Tony Delliston said: “’You are not going to prison. We are going to deal with this with a financial penalty.”

The Daily Mail reports Lake was hit with a £1,461 financial penalty, a £584 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs. The total cost totaled more than $2,700. 

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The outlet reports Lake had worked for the airline for 26 years but has since resigned. Representatives for London’s Heathrow Airport and United Airlines both declined to comment.