A teacher crashed her car into a hedge in a supermarket car park with pedestrians all around, a court heard.
Amanda Brooks, 54, was more than four times the legal alcohol limit when she ploughed into the bushes at the Aldi car park in Water Lane, Clifton.
Police were called out by supermarket staff as Brooks reversed her black Peugeot out of the hedge and drove across the car park, prosecutor Alison Whiteley told York Magistrates’ Court.
A subsequent breath sample at a local police station about two hours after the incident gave a reading of 148mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – more than four times the legal drink-drive limit of 35mcg.
Brooks, from Clifton, was released on bail to appear in court on 2 July but failed to turn up. A warrant was issued by the court and she was arrested again.
She first appeared in court on 5 July and was given a day’s custodial detention for failing to surrender, but this was deemed as time served due to being remanded in custody following the execution of the arrest warrant.
However, by this stage she had committed a separate drink-driving offence in Clifton – where on this occasion she was three-and-a-half times over the limit.
That offence occurred on 4 July, less than a month after the incident in the Aldi car park.
Ms Whiteley said that on this day police were on the look-out for Brooks because of her no-show in court a few days earlier. They spotted her vehicle on the A19 in Clifton at about 1pm and noticed that its front registration plate was missing.
“When the vehicle stopped, the police could smell alcohol on Mrs Brooks’s breath,” added Ms Whiteley.
“They said her speech was slurred and her eyes were glazed.”
A roadside breath test gave a reading of 137mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. A subsequent formal reading of 123mcg of alcohol, from a breath test carried out about two hours later in police custody, meant she was over three times the legal limit.
Brooks pleaded guilty to both drink-driving offences when she appeared at the Saturday remand court on 2 July. Sentence was adjourned until yesterday (Wednesday).
Slurred speech
Ms Whitely said that in the first incident at the Aldi car park at about 2.20pm on June 11, a member of the public saw Brooks get into her car despite clearly being “in drink”.
“She appeared to be slurring her speech,” added Ms Whitely.
“She got into her car and drove forward into some bushes and reversed back out and drove across the car park and then police arrived.”
She said the incident occurred on a busy shopping day when there would have been “lots of pedestrians” around.
Brooks’s solicitor David Camidge said his client had a liver or bladder condition which meant that she retained alcohol longer in her system than was ordinarily the case.
He said that Brooks, who had never been in trouble before, had not touched alcohol since her initial court appearance in July and had undergone counselling for “alcohol issues”. She was under the care of a hepatological nurse for her liver condition.
“She is deeply ashamed of her conduct,” he added.
“She is 54, an intelligent lady and ordinarily works as a supply teacher.”
Mr Camidge said that an “unusual set of disastrous circumstances”, including bouts of illness, had led to the two drink-offences in rapid succession.
“At the moment she has no income,” he added.
He said that despite her “fairly serious health issues”, Brooks was “carrying out supply teaching as and when” but had been claiming Universal Credit.
Deputy district judge Clare Walsh admonished Brooks for being “very well over the prescribed (alcohol) limit… not once, but twice”.
She said that both offences “fell into the very top category” but that she had to consider the fact that Brooks had a condition which meant that she processed alcohol “much slower perhaps than an ordinary person”.
The judge said she had to balance the very-high alcohol readings against Brooks’s previous good character, her difficult personal circumstances and the fact she had been engaging with various support services to rehabilitate herself.
She said that for those reasons she could suspend the inevitable prison sentence.
Brooks received a ten-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months and a 32-month driving ban.
She was fined £120 and ordered to pay £170 costs, along with a £154 statutory surcharge.
Behaviour ‘won’t be tolerated’
Investigating officer, Traffic Constable Jack Dodsworth, said: “Sadly, all too often, we see the harsh reality of drink and drug driving on our roads, and we will do everything to combat those who flout the law by driving whilst intoxicated.
“Thankfully in this case, with help from a member of the public who alerted us, we were able to take Brooks off the roads before she caused any further collisions or endangered anyone’s life.
“The sentence reflects the serious nature of Brooks’ behaviour and also highlights that it will not be tolerated.
“Those who decide to break the law and put other road users in grave danger, will be dealt with robustly.”
