DRIVER WHO WAS SIX TIMES OVER THE LIMIT ADMITS:
Ron Moore
A motorist who was caught driving while six times the legal limit admitted people could have been killed by her actions.
Julie Wicklow, 45, was so intoxicated
that staff at a village Co-op branch refused to sell her booze and a horrified witness immediately reported her to police, fearing she was a danger to the public and herself.
Wicklow then jumped into her car and drove to a pub, where cops traced her and discovered she was heavily under the influence. She was arrested and taken into custody.
Yesterday Paisley Sheriff Court heard the self- employed businesswoman admitted “that others could have been killed,” her by drink-driving on October 9.
Fiscal depute Margaret McCallum said: “At 10.16am a witness was within the locus at Kilbarchan and observed the accused being refused the sale of alcohol as a result of her intoxicated state.
“The witness thereafter saw the accused leave the Co-op and proceed to drive at Station Road before turning into New Street, Kilbarchan.
“The witness passed details of the vehicle to police and at 10.18am two officers were travelling in New Street and, having been made aware of the report, observed the accused directly outside Habbies pub.
“They stopped the vehicle and got out and spoke to the accused. At that time her vehicle’s engine was running.
“Officers noticed a strong smell of alcohol. They observed her speech was slurred.”
The court heard Ms Wicklow, a former GP’s secretary who now runs her own health business, blew a roadside breath test and was taken to Greenock Police Station.
She recorded a very high breathalcohol reading and was cautioned and charged.
Wicklow, from, Gateside Place, Kilbarchan, replied to police: “No. Get me home.”
Ms Wicklow appeared in the dock and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while having a proportion of alcohol in her breath of 132 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 22 micrograms.
Defence agent Gordon Nicol said his client, who was jailed for a drink driving offence in 1999, was aghast at her conduct.
He said: “She realised that others could have been killed.
“It’s an important acceptance on her part. She pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
“She does have a similar conviction from 19 years ago, but since that time there has been quite clearly no further trouble of any kind.
“She has had difficulties in her life and sought refuge in alcohol. She met her husband in 1995, he passed away at a young age in 2000.
“He died in October. This offence occurred when it was the anniversary of that.
“Her father, with whom she was very close, passed away this August.”
Mr Nicol highlighted that Wicklow had admitted responsibilty, was seeking help with her doctor, had booked sessions with The Priory about tackling her drink problem and asked the court to hand her a community-based sentence.
However, Sheriff Craig Harris tore a strip off Wicklow, branding her behaviour “deplorable.”
He said: “This is a very high level of alcohol.
“You would have been severely intoxicated and you chose to drive in the area where you live in order to consume more alcohol.
“You were refused the sale of that because of your intoxicated state.
“It is deplorable conduct and you are very fortunate you did not cause injury damage to others or yourself.”
He handed her a £800 fine and banned her from the road for two years.
She was also urged to take up the drinkdriving rehabilitation scheme before getting behind the wheel again.