A woman who was found to be almost three times the legal limit after leaving the scene of an accident has been handed an 18 month driving disqualification.
The 36-year-old’s legal representative told court: “She has no recollection of calling the taxi; she was not trying to evade police she was simply dazed and confused.”
Helen Geneit, of Whitehall Gate, Aghagallon, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, failing to report and failing to remain at an accident at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Prosecution outlined that on December 22, at 2.25am, police received a report of a one vehicle collision on the Tullydagan Road, Lurgan.
Officers arrived to find a Vauxhall Vectra in the middle of the road where it had significant damage; the airbags had been deployed and it appeared to have struck a nearby telegraph pole.
A witness had seen a female, who appeared intoxicated, get out of the car and leave the scene in a Mercedes taxi.
Police attended the home of the last registered owner of the car – the defendant – where she admitted to driving the car and also accepted she had been in an accident.
A preliminary breath test was carried out resulting in a fail.
Whilst at Lurgan Custody Suite, an evidential sample of breath was taken, which gave a reading of 100mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
When interview, Geneit made full admissions to the offences before the court.
Defence counsel stated: “She has nothing previous, she had just finished a 12 hours shift; she is restaurant manager, she got home and had a bottle of wine.
“She accepts that she was driving, she had been trying to locate her fiancé as she had not been able to contact him by phone”.
She added: “She met a bad bend in the road, she has no recollection of calling the taxi, she was not trying to evade police she was simply dazed and confused”.
District Judge Rosie Watters said: “This was a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity but it is a high reading, aggravated by the fact she left the scene and by the fact she had an accident.”
Geneit was disqualified from driving for 18 months and was ordered to pay a fine of £400, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 10 weeks.
Judge Watters did certify the defendant for the drink driving course which would see her ban reduced by one quarter upon completion.
