AN 'overweight' care worker will lose her job after she was suspected of drink driving but claimed she was trying as hard as she could to blow into the device.
Deborah Owens of Malvern Road, Worcester, admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis after her partner told police she had been-drink driving, describing herself in court as 'an overweight smoker'.
Wall crash electrician three and half times the limit
The 35-year-old appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Monday following the incident on July 26 this year.
As a result two videos, one showing her arrest and the other showing her attempting to blow into the device, were not played to the magistrates.
Sarah Hurd, prosecuting, said: "Officers were called to the address by this lady's partner to reports she is committing a separate offence."
The man tells the officer that his partner has driven to Droitwich during the day.
"She was asked by the officers to conduct a roadside breath test. At that time she was het up and she refused," she said.
Rape accused said allegation would be 'laughed out of court'
Mrs Hurd told magistrates Owens was 'calm' at the police station when it came to providing the evidential sample.
"She does try her best to supply two samples in the three minutes allotted to be fair and the officer is encouraging her.
"She is just unable to do so. It's not a blatant refusal," said Mrs Hurd.
Owens had no previous convictions. The prosecutor added: "It is going to cause her problems. She is going to lose her job."
Representing herself, Owens told the bench she was a domiciliary care worker and needed to travel to people's homes for work, including in Worcester, Droitwich and Ombersley.
"If you do take my licence, I will be out of the door," she said. The mother-of-two said she still lives with her partner who also works.
Magistrates banned her from driving for 12 months (a mandatory disqualification), fined her £200, ordered her to pay a contribution to costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £34.
She was offered a drink driver's rehabilitation course which, if completed successfully, will reduce the length of her ban by 12 weeks.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel