- Janice Hawke failed a breath test at the side of the road and later refused a blood alcohol test at police station
- Defence said she had been able to combine her work at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust with binge drinking
- Hawke was said to be very upset at the death of an uncle and started drinking in the morning while sorting out his belongings
By
Jill Reilly
10:34 EST, 4 April 2012
|
10:47 EST, 4 April 2012
A midwife was caught drink driving with a bottle of gin, tonic water and slices of lemon in her car, a court heard.
Janice Hawke, 57, was caught after a man who was helping with her broken-down car, noticed she appeared to be drunk and phoned the police.
When they arrived, they were stunned to find the bottles and slices of lemon in her car, and made her take a breathalyser test which read ‘extremely high.’
Janice Hawke, a midwife was caught drink driving with a bottle of gin, tonic water and slices of lemon, similar to those pictured right, in her car, a court heard
But she later refused a blood alcohol test at the police
station, Plymouth Magistrates’ Court was told.
Hawke, from St Budeaux near Plymouth, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen and will be sentenced later this month.
Gareth Warden, prosecuting, told the court how a man called police when a woman who appeared drunk asked him to start her broken-down car in Plymouth, Devon at about 2.45pm on Monday.
He said officers arrived and smelt alcohol in the Honda.
They then discovered the bottle of gin, a bottle of tonic water and a glass containing slices of lemon in her car.
Plymouth Magistrates’ Court: The sentence was adjourned for Hawke to be assessed for an order to treat her habit but she was handed an interim driving ban. She was released on unconditional bail until April 30 and refused to comment upon leaving court
Mr Warden said she failed a breath test at the side of the road and failed on four occasions to provide a sample back at the police station.
Two samples are needed in a police station to support a drink-driving conviction.
Bill LaHive, mitigating, said Hawke had herself described the incident as ‘crazy.’
He said she was very upset at the death of an uncle to whom she was close in what he said were ‘tragic circumstances.’
Mr LaHive said she started drinking in the morning while sorting out his belongings and then ran out of petrol on her way to the supermarket, which caused her car to stop.
He added that she had sought help for her drink problem and was making progress but the bereavement had brought ‘matters to a head.’
Hawke had been able to combine her work at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust with binge drinking, he said.
Probation officer Charlie Casey said Hawke would drink for a couple of days at a time, but not while she was at work.
Magistrates adjourned sentence for her to be assessed for an order to treat her habit but she was handed an interim driving ban.
She was released on unconditional bail until April 30 and refused to comment upon leaving court.
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