Sompting drink driver caught five times over legal limit shocks court

A DRINK driver who crashed on her way back from buying her morning paper and whisky blew ‘one of the highest’ breath test readings ever seen, a court heard.
WORTHING MAGS COURT SUS-140827-101356001WORTHING MAGS COURT SUS-140827-101356001
WORTHING MAGS COURT SUS-140827-101356001

Laura Evans, 57, of Abbey Road, Sompting, crashed her car into the central reservation of Cokeham Road the morning after drinking half a bottle of Scotch on May 24.

She pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to drink driving.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Evans registered a reading of 178 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath at the roadside – five times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

The level shocked both magistrates and prosecutor of eight years, Gaynor Byng, who had never seen a reading as high.

She said: “Officers spoke to her and she said she simply wanted to return home.

“She was asked if she had been drinking and she said ‘I have had a lot’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Clearly this is a very high reading before this court and I have never come across a reading that high myself.”

The court heard Evans had been drinking heavily the night before but thought by the time she had gone out at 11am the next day, she would be under the limit.

Neal Gozzett, defending, explained the incident had happened after an ‘horrific’ 18 months of personal problems, which had led her to drink.

For the full story, see the Lancing Herald, out Thursday, August 28.