A WOMAN who decided to drive her friend a mile to her home after downing a bottle of homemade wine has been banned from the roads for nearly two years.
Vivienne Stockbridge’s Renault Twingo was found facing the wrong way in Bretby Lane, Burton, by police on February 25, after it hit another car.
A breath test revealed that Stockbridge, 47, of Bretby Lane, was more than three times the drink-drive limit, with 106 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
She admitted hitting the other car and that she had earlier consumed a bottle of homemade wine.
Burton Magistrates’ Court heard the offence could have major implications for Stockbridge, leaving her future in her job in the balance.
Mark Aspden, defending, told the court Stockbridge had a clean licence and that the offence was completely out of character.
He said: “My client made it crystal clear how ashamed she is to be coming to court for an offence like this. She is very remorseful.
“Her work is still very much up in the air and it’s not clear if an alternative position has been found for her. They want to keep her on because of her experience, but it’s not something which can be taken for granted.
“I can’t help but think that perhaps the friend might have intervened and taken alternative action, but sometimes people don’t think.”
Magistrates said they had ‘no option’ but to disqualify Stockbridge from driving for 23 months. She was also given a 12-month community order and told to pay costs of £145.
