Drink-driver was trying to help friend when caught by police

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, September 27, how Jade Haynes, 24, of Hillside Drive, Mastin Moor, near Staveley, spotted the defendant’s Vauxhall Corsa in a stationary position in the middle of the road when police decided to approach her on September 11.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “An officer spoke to the driver who moved and pulled up around the corner and the defendant smelled of alcohol and said she had picked up a passenger from town and she had had a double vodka.”

Haynes pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit after registering 43microgrammes of alcohol in 100milliltres of breath when the legal limit is 35microgrammes.

Defence solicitor Kirsty Sargent said: “There were no aggravating features and there was no suggestion of bad driving.

“She co-operated with police and gave a reading of 43microgrammes of alcohol.

“She had had a drink and had gone to collect a friend who said he had been attacked and she thought she was under the legal limit and she thought she was doing the right thing.”

Ms Sargent added that losing her driving licence will create difficulties for the defendant because her family are dependent upon her as a driver to do chores.

Magistrates fined Haynes £120 and ordered her to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Haynes was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.