Alcoholism charity executive caught drink driving and hiding from police in bush

HAYSIE

‘I had six cans of lager and two bottles of wine on the way to rehab’


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/mindandbody/i-had-six-cans-of-lager-and-two-bottles-of-wine-on-the-way-to-rehab/ar-AA1rvN4T?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=1d972906ab164cb2b270e18c6c95fb2a&ei=101#fullscreen

HAYSIE

Alcoholism charity executive caught drink driving and hiding from police in bush


https://uk.yahoo.com/news/alcoholism-charity-executive-caught-drink-113440733.html

goldon

I forgive her....... hic!

Essexphil

I have sympathy for anyone who Drink Drives. Once.

In the last 2 years or so, she has been caught Drink Driving and Drug Driving. And now she has been caught way over the limit, and lost control of her car while intoxicated.

It most certainly was not a momentary decision to drive. She drove to the 1st pub. Then drove to the 2nd pub. Then drove home.

Probation don't believe she has a problem with alcohol? Really? How many times will she choose to drive while unfit through drink and/or drugs before they think she has?

It is high time that, in addition to the mandatory 3 year minimum ban for repeat offenders, that the licence is not returned until satisfactory psychiatric testing. And the starting point for 3rd time offenders should be prison and/or a lifetime ban

Enut

Essexphil said:

I have sympathy for anyone who Drink Drives. Once.

In the last 2 years or so, she has been caught Drink Driving and Drug Driving. And now she has been caught way over the limit, and lost control of her car while intoxicated.

It most certainly was not a momentary decision to drive. She drove to the 1st pub. Then drove to the 2nd pub. Then drove home.

Probation don't believe she has a problem with alcohol? Really? How many times will she choose to drive while unfit through drink and/or drugs before they think she has?

It is high time that, in addition to the mandatory 3 year minimum ban for repeat offenders, that the licence is not returned until satisfactory psychiatric testing. And the starting point for 3rd time offenders should be prison and/or a lifetime ban

They are probably comparing her to the average 'client' they see who has got a problem with alcohol i.e. is a raging alcoholic and repeat offending criminal (which she is now as well). Her problem is more that she doesn't think that the laws apply to her or has so little self control when drunk that she just drives anyway. A VERY long ban should be the solution to that but so often the offenders carry on driving anyway.

I would introduce a lifetime ban for any repeat offenders, not 3rd time offenders, then prison time if ever found driving again.

Pleasing to see that a lawyer hasn't managed to get her off scot free though, at least we have that, unlike the last drink driver I was a witness against, or would have been had the CPS not dropped the case on the morning of the case due to their procedural errors.

Essexphil

This sort of case accentuates both where the law gets it right, and where it could be better.

Minimum 12 month ban for 1st offence. Minimum 3 year ban for 2nd offence within 10 years. Spot on.

Whereas it appears that drug driving doesn't count as a "2nd offence". And there are no harsher penalties for a 3rd offence. And it used to be the case that Driving while Disqualified meant prison time. Whereas it seems to have been downgraded.

TheEdge949

As someone who was an alcoholic and often downed a treble vodka and tonic at 07.30 to be able to see straight enough to drive in the morning, I have absolutely zero sympathy.

Had I been caught I would have expected the full force of the law to be brought to bear and the fact that I had a severe addiction, 100 units a day, should have had no place in the final outcome.

I look back now with both thanks and horror. Thankful that I didn't impact on innocent peoples lives and horror at the thought that the kids I killed might have been my own.

Yes, addiction is horrendous but I feel that instead of being used, as it often is, as a mitigating factor, it should be seen as an aggravating factor.