Woman banned from road after seen slumped at wheel

Vanessa Hamilton admitted driving a Skoda Fabia on the B4537 Whitton to Knighton on July 18 while over the drink-drive limit, when she appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court.

The 59 year-old of Green Hollow, Llan, Knucklas had 95 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes. She was sentenced at the court on Wednesday.

Prosecuting, Mr Stephen Davies, said a witness saw the vehicle heading towards Knighton and it was all over the road and she was slumped over the wheel.

It went over the crossroads at Whitton, collided with the kerb several times and stopped by Cwmwhitton Cottages.

An officer attended and when Hamilton was taken to the police car, she could barely stand and refused to place her legs inside.

She was arrested and a half drunk one litre bottle of Smirnoff was found in her car.

Problematic

Hamilton has three previous matters – driving with excess alcohol in April 2010, failing to provide a specimen in June 2010 and driving with excess alcohol in November 2014.

A Probation Officer who prepared a report, said Hamilton had been abstaining from alcohol up until that point since 2014.

But she said during lockdown Hamilton’s mobile catering business and an acupuncture therapy business had both stopped and she had broken up with her partner, the day before this incident.

Hamilton had been attending regular Alcoholic’s Anonymous meetings but they went virtual during lockdown and Hamilton could not access them when her laptop broke.

Mitigating, Mr Paul Lewis said Hamilton has a problematic antecedent history with three excess alcohol matters.

Magistrates placed her on a six-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity sessions. She was banned from the road for 40 months and will have to pay a £50 fine, £85 costs and a £95 surcharge.