A woman who was caught drunk while at the wheel of her car at 4.30am has been spared a driving ban after insisting she had only sat in the driver’s seat to keep warm.
Katie Scragg, 23, had been on a night out with her sister in Congleton, Cheshire, when she decided to return to her Seat Ibiza, which was parked near a Wetherspoons.
A passing police patrol had spotted the part-time Tesco worker in the driver’s seat with the lights on and engine running.
But when the officer parked his car behind, the Seat stalled before Scragg admitted she had three drinks.
She failed a roadside breathalyser, with tests later showing she was nearly three times over the legal limit.
At Crewe magistrates’ court, Scragg, who lives in a £600,000 converted dairy in the rural village of Smallwood, near Sandbach, faced a road ban.
But she was instead given ten points on her licence after prosecutors accepted her plea of guilty to being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle. She had denied drink driving.
Molly Broster prosecuting said: ‘On October 13 at approximately 4.30am a PC Shields was on mobile patrol when he came across the defendant’s vehicle in Antrobus Street car park in Congleton, behind Wetherspoon’s.
Katie Scragg, 23, had been on a night out with her sister in Congleton, Cheshire, when she was caught drunk behind the wheel of her parked Seat Ibiza
She appeared at Crew magistrates’ court where she was given ten points on her licence after prosecutors accepted her plea of guilty to being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle. She had denied drink driving
‘It was parked up with the lights illuminated and the engine running. The officer positioned his car behind the defendant but the car stalled.
‘After the officer went to speak to the driver, she said she’d had three drinks before then being subsequently breathalysed.’
After failing a roadside breath test, further tests showed she had 94 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
In mitgation defence lawyer Jessica Foster said Scragg works part-time at Tesco and part-time for her father who has a business selling cars.
‘She is 23 years old, has a clean licence and has never been arrested or before the court before.
‘She had been out with her sister and had gone to the car to keep warm. She had no intention of driving but does accept being in charge. She has definitely learnt her lesson.’
Scragg was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £165 in costs and surcharge.
JP John Bache said: ‘I am sure you realise the seriousness of driving under the influence of alcohol. You are not charged with that but you are with being in charge of a vehicle.
‘You understand the importance of not being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
‘We are endorsing your licence with 10 points and what that means any driving offences and you will be a totter and will lose your licence.
‘You must do everything absolutely perfectly. Otherwise, you will be in serious risk of losing your licence.’
