COLNE VALUE

AN ESTATE agent who crashed her car while four times over the drinkdrive limit was told it was a miracle that she didn’t seriously harm anybody.

Elizabeth Hirst, 27, smashed into a traffic bollard and then kicked a policewoman when she was arrested.

But the ‘functioning alcoholic’ escaped jail after her solicitor explained that she’d sought help for her problems.

At a previous hearing Hirst, of Bank Hall Drive in Shepley, pleaded guilty to driving while over the prescribed limit and assaulting a police officer in the execution of her duty.

She caught the attention of an offduty Pc as she drove along Abbey Road in Shepley shortly after 1pm on July 21.

The officer witnessed her strike a central bollard and then continue her journey on the wrong side of the road.

He followed her to where she pulled onto a driveway in Lepton, spoke with her and found her to be under the influence of alcohol.

The Pc then stayed with her until his police colleagues arrived and arrested her.

Hirst was transported to Dewsbury Police Station where breath tests showed that she had 135 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

This was nearly four times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Hirst was then taken to a cell where she kicked a female detention officer in the leg and then lashed out at her again.

Prosecutor Vanessa Jones read a victim impact statement written by West Yorkshire Police chief constable Dee Collins.

She said: “It is not acceptable to assume that assaults on police should be tolerated and that it’s part of their job.”

Mrs Jones added that assaults on police have a big impact on resources when they are forced to take time off work following attacks.

Hirst said that she had drunk four cans of alcohol plus eight the night before and could only remember pulling up at her grandmother’s home and getting arrested.

Her solicitor Abdul Ali explained that she’d