Co Armagh businesswoman, who was more than three times drink driving limit, narrowly missed hitting other vehicles, Craigavon court hears
A Co Armagh businesswoman, who was spotted asleep in her car then drove several miles narrowly missing other vehicles, was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit, a court has heard.
Joanne Auterson, aged 49, from Hazelwood Grove, Richhill, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court.
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She pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, no driving licence, no insurance and no vehicle test certificate.
The court heard that police received a report of a suspected drink driver at 8.27pm on October 13 this year.
The reporting person said the suspected drink driver was in a Ford Kuga, identified the driver as the defendant and she was parked outside Hills Newsagent in Markethill ‘having fallen asleep’.
It was reported Auterson then drove off on Main Street, Markethill ‘narrowly missing several vehicles’.
“The reporting person followed the vehicle along Gosford Road and onto the Mullaghbrack Road in the direction of Hamiltonsbawn. During this the defendant had several further near misses. She was followed and parked outside an address in Richhill,” said the prosecutor.
Police attended and spoke to the defendant. She denied driving the vehicle but police noted the brakes and engine were warm to the touch and she agree to a preliminary breath test.
The evidential reading was 114 micrograms of alcohol to 100 millilitres of breath. The drink drive limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Auterson was further arrested for no insurance, no driving licence and no vehicle test certificate.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “She is lucky there are no further charges given the outline of the facts I’ve just heard.”
Auterson’s solicitor, Mr Kevin McCamley, said his client recognises that. He said she has two children. “She is someone who is industrious. She runs her own business. She took over a business from her previous employer who may have shut the business down.
"On the day in question, bad decision making. She is not making excuses. She shouldn’t have done it. She took the decision to drive home,” he said, adding the defendant has a previous for excess alcohol but just outside the 10-year scope by three months.
"The reading does her no favours at 114. It’s a very high reading,” he said.
"I am asking you give her credit for her plea today. I am asking that you take into consideration what she is doing for her local community in relation to employing people,” he said.
"Doesn’t know why she did it. Doesn’t know why she drove. Just a bad decision. She’s not blaming anyone else only herself.”
District Judge Ranaghan said: “You may not have any recollection of why you did this or can’t understand your decision making but it was very poor decision making.
"You are lucky you weren’t charged with more serious offences. You are lucky that no one else was injured or indeed yourself,” he said, adding he would apply credit for the defendant’s guilty plea.
He banned Auterson from driving for 20 months. He also banned her from driving for six months each for the no driving licence offence and no insurance. She was also fined £100 for each offence plus the offender levy of £15.