Woman banned from driving for three years after third court appearance for drink-driving

Helen Jayne Thornalley, 54, of Wigtoft Road, Sutterton, admitted driving with excess alcohol when she appeared before magistrates in Boston.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare said that in the early morning of October 16 last year, Thornalley was involved in a single vehicle collision when her Picanto car left a straight stretch of road in Wigtoft Road, and went into a ditch.

Police found that she had left the scene when they attended at 4.30am and went to her home where a positive breath test led to a reading of 113 micrograms of alcohol in her breath, more than three times the legal limit of 35.

Mitigating, Rebecca Freitas said Thornalley had been on her way to work and had swerved to avoid a cat and gone into the ditch and was then taken home by a passer-by.

She said Thornalley had alcohol issues and had referred herself to an alcohol dependency organisation and was waiting for a case worker to be appointed.

She said she was now living with her daughter who was helping her to get off alcohol.

Thornalley was fined £333 and ordered to pay £119 in court costs and charges.

She was banned from driving for three years.