Anna Marie Anderson, 54, pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and was flanked by her husband when she fronted Tamworth District Court on Wednesday.

The Tamworth businesswoman was handed a custodial sentence of one-year-and-10 months, to be served in the community on an intensive corrections order (ICO).

She was hit with extra conditions including an overnight home curfew for four months, and 300 hours of community service.

As part of the sentence, Anderson must follow a strict medical treatment plan; attend the sober drivers' course; be of good behaviour; stay off the road for two years; and have a mandatory interlock device for three years.

Judge Deborah Payne said Anderson had shown genuine remorse after the East Tamworth crash on April 1 last year, including visiting the victim in hospital before checking herself into a Sydney facility for help.

"She has taken significant steps towards rehabilitation," Judge Payne said during sentencing.

"She has contributed greatly to the community of Tamworth over a long period of time."

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She said there was a clear connection between the health diagnoses Anderson was dealing with at the time - including alcohol dependence disorder - and her drink driving that day.

"She should have done something when she realised something was wrong, and she did do something, but unfortunately it was far too insufficient in the circumstances," Judge Payne said.

Anderson was more than four times the legal blood alcohol limit, with an agreed reading of 0.228, when she turned her Volkswagen Tiguan SUV right at the intersection of White and Upper streets about 2pm.

Despite an oncoming car being visible for about 10 seconds as it travelled down White Street, Anderson turned directly into it.

A police highway patrol car was behind her at the time and captured the crash on dashcam. Anderson told the senior constable at the scene that she hadn't seen the Ford Focus coming.

The 56-year-old driver suffered a broken arm in the crash and underwent a number of surgeries over almost a year.

The court heard Anderson's account was that she had finished work that day, gone to buy groceries, was "overcome" with emotion and drank a bottle of red in the carpark before driving towards her East Tamworth home just a few hundred metres away.

"This is not a case of momentary inattention or misjudgement, the offender was very intoxicated with a reading well above the aggravating range," Judge Payne said.

"Despite being easily able to walk 500m, or cross and catch a taxi, she declined to do so and drove her vehicle home with a consequential devastating effect upon the victim."

The court heard a heartfelt victim impact statement revealed the serious effects the crash had had on the injured woman, someone simply driving along a suburban street on a Thursday afternoon.

Judge Payne said she took into account the punishment Anderson had been subject to as she awaited sentencing.

The court heard she had lost her ability to work in the Tamworth pharmacy she owns half of for several months, and was still on a restricted license.

Judge Payne also said her marriage to Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson had attracted media attention "even though she is not a public figure".

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