An East Coker woman got into her car and drove to find her partner even though she had been drinking, claiming he had messaged her to say he had taken an overdose.
Police were on duty on Queensway in the early hours of the morning when they spotted Lorraine Crow driving her Mini without the lights on and it then stopped in the middle of the road causing an HGV to brake suddenly.
When she got out of her car she was stumbling around and when she was arrested she was found to be two and a half times the drink drive limit.
The 54-year-old defendant, of Main Street, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.
She pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle on Higher Kingston at Yeovil on July 13 after consuming excess alcohol.
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The court was told that police saw Crow driving a black Mini without its headlights on in Queensway at 2.50am.
They caught up with it and flashed their lights before illuminating their blue lights but it continued driving.
“It crossed the hospital roundabout onto Reckleford and stopped in the middle of the road causing an HGV to brake suddenly,” said prosecutor Emma Lenanton.
“When the officers spoke to her she appeared to be dazed and was unable to understand what they were saying to her.
“They thought she was under the influence of alcohol and when told she didn’t have her headlights on she replied that she hadn’t noticed.
“As she got out of her car she stumbled a number of times and nearly fell over and when the roadside breath test was explained to her she sucked the tube instead of blowing into it.”
She was taken to Yeovil police station and a further test revealed a reading of 86mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg of alcohol.
Ray Peters, defending, said that Crow had been going through a number of difficult times in her personal life and on the night in question she agreed to meet her partner in the pub to discuss their issues.
“Things became heated and her partner left but she was very concerned for his welfare when she received a text message saying he had taken an overdose,” he said.
“She started to drive around trying to find him when she was arrested by the police and her partner was later taken to hospital and treated.
“The inevitable disqualification will impact on her ability to do her job and she wants to apologise for the offence as it was not a deliberate act.”
He said she had not stopped when directed by the officers because she didn’t realise they were wanting her to.
Crow was given a 21 month driving ban and fined £330 with £85 costs and a £33 victim surcharge.
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