A court was today told (TUES) how a member of the public flagged police officers down while driving along Brunswick Road, Penrith, to inform them they had seen what looked like a drunk-driver filling her car up at the Morrison’s petrol station in the town just before 7pm on October 4.
Miss Sally Anne Ridley, 54, gave her address to Carlisle Magistrates Court in Carlisle as York Street, Penrith.
The court heard as officers arrived she was slowly driving her BMW 320TD car out from the petrol station but stopped as the officer approached, she was described in court as very unsteady on her feet and had difficulty getting her seat-belt off and had slurred speech, she then failed a road-side breathalyser test and was arrested.
At the police station she gave an evidential breath reading of 101-microgram’s of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, this was almost three times above the legal limit of 35. Her lawyer Geoff Smith informed the court his client was in an accident some time ago and has constantly suffered from serious back-pain, it seems she has taken alcohol as a pain control, she was drinking the night before she admitted and pleaded guilty straight away to the drink-driving offence.
Magistrates imposed a driving disqualification of 26-month, a fine of £85 and a victims surcharge of £34.
