King's Lynn shop boss admits drink-driving following alarm call

A shop manager responding to an early-hours alarm call at her premises was more than twice the drink-drive limit when she was stopped by police in Lynn.

Heidi Mead-Taylor was driving on Gayton Road at about 1.30am on November 19, magistrates heard yesterday.

A roadside breath test proved positive and she was arrested.Tests showed she had 88 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Mead-Taylor, 43, of Elvington, Gaywood, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

Mitigating solicitor George Sorrell said: “Sometimes these cases are very unfair. People go out to drink, then drive knowing what they are doing and in circumstances which can be very dangerous.

“Then there are those at the other end of the scale. My client had been drinking, she had taken a fair amount of alcohol. That would have been all right. However, she was in bed when about 1am she received a telephone call to say the alarm at the shop for which she is a manager had gone off.

"Anxious to get to the shop she drove off but the alcohol was still there.”

Mr Sorrell added: “She’s the type of person who regards [her court appearance] as shameful. It was one o’clock in the morning. Unfortunately, that is the time when police have eagle eyes.”

Mead-Taylor said she works for her father and will not be attending alarm calls anymore.

Mr Sorrell said the incident had happened against a backdrop of Mead-Taylor’s mother being critically ill in hospital.

She was banned from driving for 22 months, which can be reduced on successful completion of a rehabilitation course. She was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.