Drink-driver who necked vodka before heading wrong way down M54 'didn't remember getting in car'

Katarina Tothova, aged 40, did not even remember getting in the car and had no idea where she was going when she was caught at around 4am on January 8 this year.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that a member of the public called the police after seeing Tothova driving on the M54 near Junction 7 for Wellington. She told them there was a car driving on the wrong side of the motorway, and that HGVs were having to swerve out of the way.

Cars flashed their lights at Tothova, however she continued driving for a couple more miles along the A5 towards the Preston roundabount in Shrewsbury, before turning her Renault Clio around to head back towards Telford with the correct flow of traffic.

Police officers spotted her near the roundabout and attempted to get her to pull over. Tothova initially stopped dead in the road without moving over to the hard shoulder, before then moving to a safe area.

She carried out breath tests and the lowest reading she gave was 83 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath - more than twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

Elizabeth Power, prosecuting, said Tothova gave "full and frank admissions" to police in interview after she was arrested. "She said she'd had half a bottle of vodka as she had been going through some personal and family issues," said Ms Power.

Tothova, of The Red House, Priorslee Village, Telford, was facing sentence after previously pleading guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates Court to one count of dangerous driving and one count of driving a motor vehicle while above the alcohol limit.

Debra White, defending, said Tothova had no previous convictions and has shown "genuine remorse" for her actions. "She understands the serious position she has placed herself in," added Ms White.

Judge Anthony Lowe told Tothova it is likely she would have died if she had ended up crashing her car that night. "It probably would have been you who would have been wiped out if you had collided head on with an articulated lorry," he said.

"You got in the car at 4am having drank a bottle of vodka. You don't even remember getting in the car, let alone where you were going. Thankfully, it was at 4am and the traffic was sufficiently quiet for people to take evasive action."

However, the judge said Tothova "isn't a young tearaway who needs their wings clipped" like in many other dangerous driving cases, and took into consideration the problems she was having in her life and her alcohol use.

He imposed on Tothova an 18-months community order including a 120-day alcohol abstinence programme and 20 rehabilitation activity days. Judge Lowe also banned her from driving for 18 months, ordered her to do 50 hours of unpaid work and to pay £425 in prosecution costs.

"If you don't open up to the people around you, you will find yourself in a similar position again," he added.