Woman’s u-turn comes too late

Friend dobs in drink-driver

A WOMAN who drove off after an argument with a friend only to pull over when she realised she was over the limit had blown a breath/alcohol reading almost four times the legal limit.

Kim Maree Banks had been drinking while watching television with a friend at his Newtown residence on the night of June 24 when the couple got into an argument.

Told by the male friend to leave, the 37-year-old mother of two got into her car about 12.30am and drove off, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

However, she had only driven around the corner when she realised she shouldn’t have been driving and drove back and parked outside her friend’s Taylor St home, the court heard.

She had been sitting in the passenger seat trying to figure out what to do next when police who had been alerted to her driving by her friend inside the house arrived, her solicitor Nathan Bouchier (Bouchier Khan Lawyers Toowoomba) told the court.

She had also been captured on the informant man’s home CCTV cameras driving to the spot, the court heard.

Banks blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.198, police prosecutor Sergeant Mike Robinson said.

When spoken to by police, she had readily admitted that she had earlier been drinking, Sgt Robinson said.

Mr Bouchier said his client was very remorseful and that the incident had had a marked affect on her and her business.

His client, who had no previous traffic offences at all, had had to move her family to the Lockyer Valley to live with her mother due to her having no driver’s licence which brought her house cleaning business to a close.

Mr Bouchier said his client had shown the foresight to realise she shouldn’t have been driving and pulled over.

“She is very remorseful for her actions on this night,” Mr Bouchier submitted.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie acknowledged Banks’ otherwise good record, her early plea of guilty, her co-operation with police and the fact she had only driven a short distance and ordered the conviction not be recorded.

Noting Banks had already been without her licence since the incident and the impact that had had on her, Ms Pirie fined her $1250 and disqualified her from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for seven months.