Heacham businesswoman sentenced for drink-driving days after killer of her husband released from jail

A Heacham businesswoman was caught drink-driving while taking an ill friend home in the early hours.

Police saw the vehicle being driven by 50-year-old Maxine Jose swerving across the centre lines in Lynn.

Officers noted her to look “dishevelled” and have glazed eyes, town magistrates were told on Thursday.

A roadside breath test was positive but a sample wasn’t provided in custody, said prosecutor Bethany Richards.

Jose, of Ringstead Road, pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drink on April 17.

Simon Nicholls, mitigating, said: “Mrs Jose says her driving wasn’t particularly problematic as far as she was concerned. She was the only car driving at four in the morning.”

He added that his client had stayed at a friend’s house and agreed to take another friend home who was feeling unwell.

“She’d had five hours’ sleep. She agreed to take the friend home which was the mistake she made as she still had alcohol in her.”

Mr Nicholls said his client, who was a widow following the manslaughter of her husband in Essex five years ago, found out a few days before the hearing that the offender had just been released from prison.

He said she was someone who had fought to keep the family going after the killing and had fought for her wheelchair business which had suffered greatly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jose was banned from driving for 12 months, which can be cut with completion of a drink-driver rehabilitation course. She was fined £460 and ordered to pay £105 costs and £46 victim surcharge.