Driving ban for 81-year-old woman stopped on Christmas Eve
Patricia Butler, 81, was stopped on Christmas Eve. - Credit: Gregg Brown
An 81-year-old woman has been disqualified from driving for 12 months after being stopped for drink driving on Christmas Eve.
Patricia Butler, from Thetford, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Magistrates Court after she was stopped by police on the B1106 at 10.50pm on December 24 in Fornham All Saints.
She was found to have 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.
Appearing in court on Friday, December 31, the court heard an off-duty police officer contacted the control room at around 8.30pm on December 24, following a driver he believed to be under the influence of alcohol.
From that information, police intercepted the Honda CRV driven by Mrs Butler, although Paul Brown, prosecutor, acknowledged that this was "some time later".
He added that the defendant's alcohol level was in the lowest category.
In mitigation, the 81-year-old apologised to the court and said she had never done it before.
Most Read
- 1 Suffolk woman and her three dogs die in London crash
- 2 Four-bedroom cottage on Dunwich clifftops for sale for £295k
- 3 Thunderstorm warning issued for East of England
- 4 Striking new seafront café opens its doors to customers after two-year wait
- 5 Man found unconscious in Ipswich alleyway following serious assault
- 6 Neighbours' tribute to crash victim who 'thought the world of her dogs'
- 7 Award-winning scotch egg producer takes over Melton butchers shop
- 8 West Suffolk Mexican restaurant named among best in the UK
- 9 Suffolk dog-friendly hotel named one of the best in the UK
- 10 6 gorgeous woodland escapes in Suffolk
She was sentenced to a 12-month driving ban, which could be reduced by three months if she successfully completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.
She was also fined £64, with total surcharges and costs amounting to £205.
