Welshpool shop boss woke up drink-driver slumped in her car

Danielle Georgina Harvey-Newns, 29, was almost three time the legal drink drive limit when she was found in her car on the Morrisons car park in Welshpool.

On Tuesday at Welshpool magistrates court she admitted driving when the alcohol level in her body was over the legal limit. She also admitted driving without an MoT certificate and otherwise than in accordance with her licence.

Magistrates, who heard she had been a provisional driver, banned her from driving for two years and gave her a 12-month community order with 60 hours' unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay a total of £170 in costs and victim surcharge.

Mrs Helen Tench, prosecuting said the manager of the store found Harvey-Newns, of Bentley Lane, Walsall, slumped in the seat of a Fiat Punto at about 10pm on January 28 this year.

He tried to rouse her and called for an ambulance.

When Harvey-Newns came round she started to drive the car round the supermarket car park with her lights off hitting a bollard.

he attempted to drive out of the entrance but her path was blocked by the ambulance that had arrived to help her.

A breath test revealed she had 95 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Mr Owain Jones for Harvey-Newns, said her client was a vulnerable adult who had post traumatic stress and a borderline personality disorder.

"She also has a disassociation problem which means she can black out and forget what she has done. That day she had forgotten to take her medication," he said.

The court was told that Harvey-Newns had decided to drive back from Mid Wales to Walsall after hearing her sister had given birth.

"She clipped the kerb in Welshpool and to calm herself down, went to a pub to have one drink. After that she can't remember anything else," Mr Jones said.

"She accepts her actions were irresponsible and dangerous and is sorry for the inconvenience caused."