Policeman’s drink-drive girl crashed father’s vintage cab
A POLICEMAN’S daughter has admitted getting behind the wheel of her father’s vintage London taxi while three times over the limit – and crashing it.
Emma Whelan stole the keys to the blue London cab and smashed it into another car.
‘My father will never forgive me,’ she told a court. ‘I know it’s just a car, but it was priceless to him. I will never forgive myself.’
Whelan, 23, crashed near the family home in Balham, south London, on August 21, Camberwell Magistrates’ Court heard.
She was arrested minutes later and taken to a police station where she was found to have 101 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
The legal limit is 35 micrograms. ‘You were nearly three times over the legal drinking limit and you could be facing a prison sentence of 12 weeks,’ District Judge Karim Azzat told Whelan.
‘I hope this serves as a severe wake-up call.’ Sparing her from jail at a hearing on Friday, the judge ordered Whelan to complete 100 unpaid hours of community service in a year.
She was also banned from driving for two years, and was warned that if she gets behind the wheel of a car, she will go to prison for 12 weeks. Whelan, who represented herself, claimed the stress of taking care of her sick aunt had sent her into a depressive rage. She said: ‘ I was just so angry.
‘I was dealing with a lot of mental health problems and depression. I realise I now have to say when I’m not OK.’
Wiping away tears, she added: ‘I’ve been in contact with the person whose car was affected and I’ve apologised. I’m so thankful I didn’t hurt somebody. I’m not like that. I am the daughter of a police officer.
‘I’ve let everyone down… I deserve to be punished.’
Judge Azzat said: ‘ Do not presume the extent to which a father can forgive a daughter for her mistake.’
‘He will never forgive me’