Drink driver collided with KFC

And an evidential breath test later showed that she was almost four times the drink drive limit.

Julie Gordon, Rover Way, Portadown, appeared for sentencing last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

She had already pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in her breath on February 19 this year, two charges of failing to report an accident, failing to remain, failing to stop and driving without due care and attention. The case had been adjourned from a previous court to obtain a pre-sentence report.

A prosecutor said that at approximately 8.15pm police received a report of a hit and run accident at Bridge Street in Portadown.

A car indicating to turn right into a filling station had been hit from behind by a car which had driven on.

The car was then involved in another collision near KFC with the driver leaving the scene on foot.

A description was given to police who went to the home of the last registered owner who was the defendant.

Gordon arrived home and she matched the description given. She was unsteady on her feet and smelled of alcohol.

An evidential breath test gave a reading of 134 – the limit is 35. She made full admissions.

Miss Siun Downey, representing Gordon, said she was a woman not without her difficulties and in the last two years has become dependent on alcohol.

She explained that since these offences her client has been in touch with her GP and the community addictions team.

Miss Downey added that Gordon had a relevant record going back to 2012.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said the defendant collided with vehicle number one and didn’t realise she had done that so drove on.

She added that later on she only remembered bits like someone taking the keys off her and the airbag going off.

“I have had cases of people being killed by the Miss Gordons of this world,” said Judge Kelly. “Every medical condition she has is caused by alcohol. At what point is she going to stop drinking?”

She said that the custody threshold was crossed with two accidents and a high reading at just after eight in the evening.

The judge said she had already imposed an interim disqualification and was going to defer sentencing for six months.

In that period, she told Gordon, she wanted proof that she had stopped drinking and had not come to the attention of any police officer.

She told the defendant that if she did this she would adopt some recommendation in the probation report but if she failed she would be going to prison.

The judge deferred sentencing until December 6.