A corporate lawyer has been jailed for ten weeks after she was caught drink driving at nearly four times the legal limit, blaming it on homemade kombucha tea.
Prosecuting at Llandudno Magistrates Court, Dianne Williams said that police were behind the defendant’s vehicle as it travelled “all over the road” on April 22.
A police officer who followed the woman for six miles used lights and the siren to try and stop the woman, who was drifting onto the hard shoulder and came close to colliding with a number of wagons while attempting to overtake.
A colleague, PC Peter Doran, told the court: “Her eyes were red and glazed, her speech slurred. She was very unsteady on her feet.”
On pulling her over, the officers found a bottle half-full of a liquid that smelled of alcohol.
Following her arrest, the woman was found to have 135mcg alcohol per 100ml breath. The legal limit for drink driving is 35mcg. Her defence lawyer said that the friend had used the wrong type of yeast – a brewers’ yeast – in making the drink.
The 41-year-old woman said she had been to visit a friend for lunch, consuming a bottle of wine before going to meet another friend on her way home. There she had at least two glasses of homemade kombucha and drank from a water bottle containing it as she drove. She had also taken four antihistamines on the day in question as she was feeling unwell from hayfever.
She insisted she took the drink “in good faith” and maintained “I didn’t knowingly drink and drive.”
The court heard that her friend told her the “disgusting” drink was good for gut health. “I didn’t believe it was alcoholic”, said the layer, arguing “special reasons” to avoid a driving ban.
She explained that her friend brewed it using yeast and mushrooms and didn’t know the drink was alcoholic at the time. “I’m not a massive drinker at all.”
After hearing a guilty plea to drink driving, chairman Toby Prosser told her it was an “exceptionally high” reading.
“You appear to have a lack of remorse or recognition of any responsibility for the offence,” he said. “We are in a position where we have to stick to our guidelines and apply justice in the right way.”
He also banned the woman from driving for 31 months, however, the ban may be reduced on completion of the drink driving awareness course.
About Carl Millar
Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.
Carl has been a specialist in road traffic law for many years and represents clients from all walks of life and all over the Country. He is well known for the dogged defending of his clients and robust cross examination of police officers and exert witnesses.
With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.
Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535, or click here to send a confidential message.
