Drink-drive estate agent was almost 4 TIMES limit
GRIEVING WOMAN ‘ON WAY TO VISIT SISTER’S GRAVE’
AN ESTATE agent has been given a road ban after she was caught driving while almost four times the alcohol limit during a visit to her sister’s grave.
Grace O’Shea, 34, was pulled over by police last month after she got behind the wheel of her Mercedes A-Class 180 car following a night of drinking.
Tests showed O’Shea, from Altrincham, had 133 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
At Manchester magistrates’ court, O’Shea admitted driving with excess alcohol but was given a suspended sentence after telling how the offence occurred after she said she had suffered a miscarriage and wanted to go to the grave of her sister, who is believed to have passed away in 1998. She was banned from driving for 32 months.
The court heard police caught O’Shea on Washway Road, near Sale, on February 10, after she drank wine and vodka at her home in the Broadheath area. She had no previous offences on her record.
A probation report read to the hearing said: “She went through a miscarriage last February which was also the anniversary of her sister’s death.
“She drank three large glasses of wine the evening before and she found herself starting to drink vodka to help her get to sleep. She decided to go to the grave of her sister.
“She realised that she wasn’t fit to drive and, on the way, decided to make her way home. Despite her actions on this day, she did try to be stable throughout the last couple of months – but she couldn’t cope.
“She lives with her husband in her own home and works as an estate agent and will carry on to work. She suffers from anxiety and since the miscarriage it has become a lot worse.
“She does not seek to minimise the seriousness of the offence. She was visibly ashamed and upset.’’
In mitigation, defence lawyer Carl Millar said: ‘’She has not got a single penalty point on her licence.
‘’Her employer will consider keeping her in employment, as she is that well thought of. There is also a letter from the family priest who talks about the bereavements.
“Her sister sadly passed away when the defendant was 13.
‘’She never properly dealt with that grief and also the sad loss of her baby. She is thoroughly ashamed of her actions.’’
District Judge Mark Hadfield sentenced O’Shea to eight weeks in jail, suspended for a year. She was also ordered to pay costs of £250.