"No doubt the amount of alcohol in your system explains your behaviour towards the constable, which is, simply, disgraceful," the judge said.

A Palmerston North woman who was caught with an extraordinarily high breath-alcohol limit tried to kick a police officer in the groin to escape, then grabbed at him as he drove her to a police station - and it all happened at lunchtime.

Hannah Ahern, 30, pleaded guilty in the Palmerston North District Court on Tuesday to drink-driving, assaulting a police officer and failing to accompany an officer.

She was pulled over at noon on August 8 on State Highway 1 near Taupo, but a roadside breath test was not able to be completed.

A police officer said Ahern had to go with him, but she tried to run away to her car. She repeatedly pushed the constable, and swung a kick at the police constable's groin. She hit his thigh.

Ahern was handcuffed, put in a police car and driven to the Taupo police station.

She tried to jump into the front seat of the car while it was moving, and grabbed at items on the officer's vest.

A blood sample gave a reading of 347 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50mg, and people are charged with a criminal offence if found with levels higher than 80mg.

Ahern told police she was driving from Palmerston North.

Duty lawyer Richard Bedford said Ahern had no previous convictions, and had voluntarily joined an alcohol programme.

Judge Stephanie Edwards said it was the equivalent of a breath reading of 1735 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

"It's an extraordinarily high amount. No doubt the amount of alcohol in your system explains your behaviour towards the constable, which is, simply, disgraceful."

Ahern put motorists at danger by grabbing at the officer while he was driving, the judge said.

"What I find most concerning is it was the middle of the day, and you had a significant amount of alcohol on board while driving on State Highway 1."

Ahern was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and disqualified from driving for eight months.