A court has heard that a motorist who collided with a taxi coming out of the showground in Haverfordwest ‘foolishly’ elected to drive after being unable to hail a taxi that night.
Thirty-year-old Claire Louise Edwards, of Hundleton, Pembroke, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday, to admit a charge of driving her Kia Picanto after exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court the incident occurred on Withybush Road on October 26, when the defendant was driving her vehicle out of the showground at around 11 pm, and firstly hit a parked vehicle at the side of the road, before colliding with the taxi.
“Her vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the road, with all three vehicles involved having substantial damage caused to them.
“Police officers attended the scene, and when Ms Edwards was breathalysed she was almost two and a half times over the limit,” he continued.
At the police station the defendant gave a reading of 80 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath the court heard.
Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that his client who worked as a Learning Support Assistant at a school, but had now given up that job, knowing she would lose her licence, accepted that she was at fault and had made a ‘ridiculous’ decision to drive.
“She couldn’t get a taxi and foolishly thought she would be ok to drive, but she clearly was not!” he said.
Magistrates handed Ms Edwards a 20 month driving disqualification and fined her £120 for the offence.
She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £32 victim surcharge.