Hereford drink-driver crashed after drinking wine with friend

Hereford Magistrates Court heard how Lesley Bunclark had been drinking wine with a friend before trying to drive home.

Mark Hambling, prosecuting, said Bunclark, 58, crash into the parked car after swerving out of the way of a car coming in the opposite direction.

An evidential breath test found she had 112 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeded the legal limit of 35.

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Emma Thorne, for Bunclark, said she had no previous convictions and was very embarrassed to be in court after the crash at 6.30pm on July 31.

Bunclark, of Eggleton Lane in Holmer, planned to visit a friend for coffee but was offered wine instead.

She said Bunclark used to be a full-time hospital cleaner, but hasn’t worked recently due to her health.

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Magistrates, who had to tell Bunclark to calm down as she started crying and shaking in court, disqualified her from driving for 28 months.

After pleading guilty to drink-driving, Bunclark vowed “I promise I’ll never drive again”.

She was told by the bench that the breath test was a “very high reading” and “someone could have been hurt”.

Magistrates also handed her a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, fined her £40 and told her to pay a £114 victim surcharge.