Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Crash driver fined £420 and banned
A WOMAN who claimed she was left in a distraught state by coronavirus coverage on TV drove to a McDonald’s drive-thru and reversed into another car.
Gail Connelly, 61, sparked fury following the collision at the eatery at Camperdown Leisure Park in March.
However, Connelly refused to give a breath sample to police who suspected her of drink-driving.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that prior to the incident, the Ardler woman left the house after becoming perturbed by programmes she had been watching about coronavirus.
At around 10pm, two police officers who were parked in their patrol car outside McDonald’s were flagged down by a woman who said she had just been involved in a collision.
Connelly, a commercial cleaner, was identified as the driver.
Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova told the court: “Officers went to the scene and saw the accused.
“She said she was the driver and the registered keeper. Because of the way she was presenting at the time and what was briefly seen to be in the car, the officers wanted her to provide a specimen of breath but she failed to do so. In response to being cautioned and charged she said ‘I just want home.’ ”
Connelly, of Harrison Avenue, pleaded guilty to failing to provide two specimens of breath at police headquarters on West Bell Street on March 22. She also admitted failing to provide information to PC Lewis Smith after it was suspected she was involved in a collision.
Defence solicitor Ross Bennett said Connelly had been drinking alcohol before driving, adding that she was “embarrassed” by the incident.
He said: “This was just before the lockdown, she was at home on her own and watching a whole myriad of programmes about the virus and how there could be a lot of lives lost. She drove to buy some food, ordered in the drive-thru and foolishly went to reverse and bumped into the car behind her. Both got out and the lady driving the other car was particularly angry. She detected a smell of alcohol and contacted the police.”
Mr Bennett added Connelly is in the process of selling her car and is now “finished” with driving.
Connelly was fined a total of £420 by Sheriff Tom Hughes and disqualified from driving for three years.