That’s a neat excuse
Woman beats drink-drive charge... because she downed vodka after crash to calm nerves
A WOMAN who was almost three times the drink-drive limit following a crash was cleared when she claimed she had swigged vodka at home after the collision.
Police called to the crash scene near Charlotte Singleton’s home did not arrive for nearly an hour, a court heard.
The 32-year- old claimed that while waiting for officers to arrive she sank four glasses of neat vodka, which put her over the limit.
She argued her breath test reading would have been below the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Singleton was being driven home by friend Lorraine Wainwright following a party on August 25 last year when her Mercedes A180 collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle at 10pm.
Singleton, of Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester, then got behind the wheel and drove herself and Wainwright the last 200 yards home.
Once there, they drank spirits to calm their nerves before police arrived at 10.55pm and arrested them both for driving Singleton’s car. Appearing before Tameside magistrate on a drink- driving charge Monday, Singleton avoided a lengthy road ban and a possible jail term after the hearing was told she was never properly interviewed by police.
Tests showed Singleton had 100mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath while Wainwright was found to have 71mg. The limit is 35mg.
Singleton told the hearing: ‘I was at my friend’s house with Lorraine and we had a pint of Strongbow [cider] each, which we drank at around 9pm.
‘I didn’t feel well... I got belly ache, so I asked Lorraine to drive me back home.
‘She was driving the car and we got into an argument with the driver of the other car when she crashed.
‘I then drove the car back to my house at the end of the street as it was not that far. We were both a bit scared that the person she crashed into might come to the house and initially I couldn’t find my keys to lock the front door.
‘I had a quick swig of WKD [an alcopop] and then got on the vodka. I had four glasses, it was flavoured vodka and I didn’t use it with any mixer... I
‘My speech was slurred’
was nervous, I get anxiety. We were taken to Ashton police station and they breathalysed me. I admit, my speech was slurred but they didn’t [formally] interview me. They were asking me normal questions but [I] was getting confused. I did not know what they were asking me.’
Singleton’s lawyer Rebecca Clark said: ‘The defence argue that the results of the test is not established due to post-incident alcohol consumption. There was drinking after the incident that causes her to be over the limit. She was not given an opportunity of a police interview.’
Wainwright, 38, of Audenshaw, Manchester, earlier pleaded not guilty to drinkdriving and will face trial at a later date.