A care worker, who arrived to work intoxicated after driving into a parked car, has applied to come off the social register and “doesn’t anticipate working again,” a court has heard.
Bernadette Hughes, of Oakview in Dungannon, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry Courthouse on Tuesday, as she was sentenced for a litany of offences.
The 65-year-old was sentenced for driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen of breath, failing to stop at a damage-only accident, failing to report a damage-only accident, failing to provide a specimen after driving with excess alcohol and driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.
The court heard on Tuesday, July 16, at around 8.30pm, police received a report of a Citroen vehicle driving erratically in the Ardmore area of Armagh.
A second report was received stating the vehicle had struck a parked car and driven off.
A third report later came from staff at an assisted living facility, which stated a staff member had arrived into work intoxicated. They were driving a Citroen and a wing mirror on the vehicle was hanging off.
Police attended the scene and observed the defendant sitting on a sofa in an intoxicated condition.
A preliminary breath test was requested and the defendant was given a number of opportunities to comply, but refused.
Checks on police systems revealed she had been disqualified from driving for 16 months in February.
Hughes’s defence solicitor told the court that his client had a number of previous convictions, including convictions in January, for drinking and driving.
“She clearly has issues with alcohol,” he said.
“She’s engaging with Alcoholics Anonymous, and has stopped drinking since this incident. At the least, she’s been quite candid in accepting her guilt and expresses remorse.
“As a result of this incident, she has lost her employment. She’s applied to come off social register and doesn’t anticipate working again.”
District Judge Laura Marshall said: “Barring a drink driving conviction in February she’s been out of trouble for a long time. I see she was working and giving something back to the community…she’s lost that job now as a result of her actions.”
The judge handed Hughes 80 hours of Community Service given that “she seems to have a good work ethic”.
She was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.
“You obviously need to get rid of the car, if you haven’t done so already, to remove any temptation there, because a second driving while disqualified, you’ll be in real difficulty,” the judge concluded.
