Retired deputy head caught drink-driving on motorway
ARETIRED deputy headmistress has been banned from the roads for being drunk at the wheel of her car after police stopped her for driving too slowly along a motorway.
Grandmother Ann Thornton, 73, from Cheadle, was found to be more than twice the alcohol limit after she was seen travelling at 40mph along the M56 near Manchester Airport.
Police tried to pull over the respected bridge club association secretary by driving in front of her white VW Polo and switching on a “follow me” sign in an attempt to coax her into driving up a slip road.
But as the traffic officer left the carriageway Thornton slowed her own vehicle down to just 20mph then continued driving along the motorway leaving him behind. She was eventually stopped after the patrolman rejoined the carriageway and caught up with her.
Tests showed she had 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. It emerged Thornton had been drinking white wine at a Cafe Rouge restaurant during a shopping trip at the Cheshire Oaks complex near Ellesmere Port and claimed she thought she was “fine to drive”.
At Stockport Magistrates’ Court Thornton, of Cheadle, admitted drink driving and was disqualified for 18 months. She said she is now getting the bus to tournaments with the Manchester County Bridge Association.
The incident occurred at 9pm on February 8 after an ambulance driver spotted Thornton driving erratically along the motorway.
Paul Sumner prosecuting said: ‘’A police officer was in an unmarked patrol car was made aware and could see a while Volkswagen Polo as the car that was travelling well below the speed limit travelling between 40 and 60mph and veering across into the adjacent lane.
“Traffic was light at the time but heavier as they got further towards Manchester. The officer then moved his vehicle in front of the car and activated the rear facing ‘follow me’ sign with the intention to direct the Polo off at the next junction which was a mile away.
“The Polo slowed down to 20mph but didn’t turn off and carried on. The officer then had to rejoin the motorway and caught up with the Polo. Upon coming up to some traffic lights the Polo had to brake sharply in order to avoid a stationary car parked at the lights.
“The officer alighted from the vehicle and asked the driver when she had had anything to drink. She stated she had a drink about an hour earlier and she was arrested.” In mitigation defence lawyer John Dove said: “She is someone who was up until today of extremely good character.
“She worked as a teacher with a special needs school teaching children aged 11 to 19 years of age and progressed well in her career and got all the way to assistant head teacher.
“She has always been of good character and this offence is something completely out of character for her - and she doesn’t know why she had done it.
“She had been to Cheshire Oaks had two wines at Cafe Rouge and thought she was fine to drive.
“She made the silly mistake of driving and doesn’t know why.
“It’s a mistake and completely out of character for her and will face an inevitable disqualification.”
Mr Dove added: “She has two young grandchildren one just over the age of one and one who’s three and drives them to nursery.
“She also drives to various groups - she has a hobby of playing bridge and plays pretty much every night and needs the car to drive to various locations.
“She and teaches bridge at various locations once a week.
“She is now having to use public transport at the coldest time of the year to go about her day to day business. She was of previous good character and has pleaded guilty should have some credit attached to that.”
Thornton was also fined £337 and was ordered to £283 in costs and surcharges.
JPs told her: “As a result of your reading we are obliged to disqualify you from driving for 18 months.
“You can’t drive any vehicle from this moment until the end of your disqualification. If you do you will commit a serious offence and could be sent to prison and disqualified again.
“You will have to reapply for your license again.”
She was also offered a place on a drink drive awareness course which could reduce the disqualification by 25pc.