A North Tyneside woman faces the real prospect of a custodial sentence after being caught driving when almost five times the legal limit.
Susan Young, 52, of Rae Avenue, Wallsend, who appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 18th December 2024, admitted 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 and has a maximum sentence of 26 weeks' custody and/or a fine at level 5 (unlimited) on summary conviction.
Magistrates' heard that Young had attended the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, Cramlington, on the morning of Friday, 1st November 2024.
Holly Clegg, prosecuting, said: "The staff were concerned that the defendant had driven her vehicle after consuming alcohol.
"Officers attended the hospital and found the defendant sitting in her car. She said she had drank a bottle of wine. They conducted a roadside breath test, which she failed."
CCTV footage showed Young's car arriving at the hospital's car park a short time earlier.
Having failed the preliminary test she was arrested and conveyed to the police station, where she provided an evidential specimen of breath containing 165 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - almost five times the prescribed limit of 35 microgrammes.
That is without doubt one of the highest readings I have ever heard of. Such a high reading is nearly always indicative of a defendant with alcohol misuse issues.
Stewart Hay, mitigating, told Magistrates that Young had attended hospital after suffering a mishap when walking her dog earlier that morning.
He said that she had been drinking heavily the previous night and wrongly thought she was fit to drive.
Mr Hay added: "She realises she has a drink problem and has linked up with Northumbria Recovery Partnership to deal with the problem."
Magistrates ordered the completion of a pre-sentence report, indicating that all sentencing options were on the table.
They granted Young unconditional bail until her sentencing hearing at the same court on Wednesday, 8th January 2025.
Given the offence attracts an obligatory driving disqualification, Young was handed an immediate interim disqualification.
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