A Wisbech barmaid has been convicted of drink driving after blowing more than FIVE times the legal limit.
Teeda Emma Sims, 30, of Long Drive, Coldham, Wisbech, appeared for sentencing at King's Lynn Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 19th December 2019, having earlier admitted one charge of driving a motor vehicle when the amount of alcohol in her breath exceeded the prescribed limit.
This is an offence contrary to section 5(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which has a maximum penalty of 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine.
Robyn Khan, prosecuting, told the court that Sims was filmed by witnesses as she drove erratically, weaving all over the road at around 5 pm on 30th July 2019. She stopped at The Five Bells public house in New Road, Upwell, where she had been given a job just the day before.
The witness's statement said: "She got out of her car and staggered inside. I remained there until police arrived."
Sims was arrested at the pub and subsequently provided an evidential specimen on breath containing 178 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes (the Eastern Daily Press article gives the incorrect units). Such a reading is phenomenally high - the highest I can remember hearing about.
Sims' offence is aggravated by the fact she has previously been convicted of drink driving back in October 2009.
Ruth Johnson, mitigating, said: "Right from the outset it has been made clear to Miss Sims that, in my view, this crosses the custody threshold."
Miss Johnson urged the bench to suspend any prison sentence as her client had taken steps to address her drink problem and "significant improvements" had been made since the offence in July.
"She's absolutely devastated by her behaviour. Her primary concern was the risk that she posed to other road users and accepts that she could have been in court for something entirely different," added Miss Johnson.
Louise Gayton, Presiding Justice, told Sims: "This is an extremely serious offence. I don't need to reiterate the potential that it could have caused."
Sims was sentenced to eight weeks' custody suspended for 12 months, with the requirement that she completes an alcohol treatment programme.
Given her previous conviction, Sims was disqualified from driving for 3 years. She was also ordered to pay £122 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.
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