A 50-YEAR-OLD woman who drove through St Helier while more than three times the legal alcohol limit has narrowly escaped a jail sentence.
The Magistrate, Bridget Shaw, said Pamela Glover was guilty of “absolutely appalling” behaviour which could have resulted in her being sent to prison.
But she instead imposed 140 hours of community service and a three-year driving ban.
St Helier Centenier Paul Huelin told the Magistrate’s Court that the defendant’s car was seen swerving across central white lines and hitting the kerb at least twice as she tried to drive home just after midnight on 18 February.
She drove along Bond Street, Broad Street and Gloucester Street – in defiance of no entry signs – and was driving at an estimated 50mph when police officers caught up with her on Victoria Avenue.
“Her speech was slurred, she smelt of intoxicant and she appeared to struggle to understand what the officers were saying,” Mr Huelin said.
When breathalysed she was found to have 113 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Advocate Estelle Burns, defending, said Glover had attended a 60th birthday party that evening and had left her car in a town centre car park, intending to take a taxi home.
Advocate Burns said that her client had made an “extraordinarily poor decision” to drive when she went to her car to collect her coat.
“It was wholly out of character,” the advocate said.
She told the court that Glover had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and was deemed to be at low risk of reconviction, adding: “She is determined that the court will not see her before it again.”
The court also heard that Glover had been working with the Alcohol and Drugs Service since 2016.
The Magistrate told her: “Your behaviour was absolutely appalling and your work with the Alcohol and Drugs Service hasobviously not been very successful.
“You really did pose a very serious risk to the public.”
She added that the parents of small children could sometimes be jailed, saying: “Children are not a golden ticket.
“But to remove you from them would have a disproportionate impact. That is the only reason you are not going to jail.”
Glover was also ordered to retake her driving test after the ban has elapsed.
