St Germans drink-driver crashed car with children on board, court told

A woman who had a collision while more than twice the drink-driving limit had two children in the car with her at the time.

Lynn magistrates heard on Monday that Elizabete Marques bumped the Volkswagen Bora she was driving near her home in Lynn Road, St Germans.

Prosecutor Jane Walker said: “The defendant told police she had been out for a meal. She had two glasses of wine and didn’t realise she was over the limit.”

Marques, 44, blew 87 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35. She pleaded guilty to drink-driving on November 28.

Mitigating, George Sorrell said: “She had been to her friend’s for a meal. During that time she had two glasses of wine – clearly it must have been quite alcoholic for that quite high reading.

“She felt she was okay to drive but she wasn’t. She’s very surprised by this but also ashamed.”

He added: “With the collision and the presence of children, it won’t impress you.”

The case was adjourned to January 14 for a pre-sentence report. An interim driving ban was imposed on Marques.