Police tip-off leads to drink-drive charge

A tip-off to police led to a 51-year-old woman from South Holland being stopped while driving at almost twice the alcohol limit.

Sarah-Jayne Lawson was pulled over in High Road, Whaplode, while driving home to Rathkenny Close in Holbeach.
Fiona McClelland, prosecuting at Boston Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday, said: “A report was made to police that an intoxicated female had collected the vehicle from an address in Moulton.”
A test following arrest showed Lawson had 68 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit being 35.
Lawson, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to drink-driving at about 10pm on June 10.
Phillipa Chatterton, mitigating, said: “She had spent the day in the garden with her partner.
“Alcoholic drinks were consumed, there was an argument about that, and she left, leaving the vehicle on her partner’s property.”
Lawson returned to collect her purse and car keys, which were “jettisoned” from the home without any words, said the solicitor.
“She has a longstanding leg injury so it took some effort to walk back there,” said Miss Chatterton.
“Because some time had elapsed she thought ‘I should be OK to drive’ and took the risk.
“Her ex-partner, seeing her drive off, rang the police and that’s why she was stopped.”
The court was told Lawson would lose her job because it was in Spalding and finishes at 4am, with no public transport options for her.
She was banned for 18 months, which can be reduced with completion of a drink-driver rehabilitation course.
The magistrates also fined her £120 and ordered her to pay £133 in costs and victim surcharge.