Shame of drink-drive mother

A MOTHER who drank half a bottle of red wine on St Valentine s Day was caught drink-driving as she headed to the off-licence to buy more alcohol. Julie Hughes, of Woodside Way, St Ives, was banned from driving for 28 months after pleading guilty to drink-

A MOTHER who drank half a bottle of red wine on St Valentine's Day was caught drink-driving as she headed to the off-licence to buy more alcohol.

Julie Hughes, of Woodside Way, St Ives, was banned from driving for 28 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Hughes, 44, was stopped by officers as she drove to an off-licence on Ramsey Road, St Ives, at about 3.15pm on February 14.

The mother-of-two admitted driving while more than three times above the legal limit.

Amrik Wahiwala, prosecuting, told the court Hughes admitted to police she had drunk half a bottle of red wine that day and had an alcohol dependency problem. She recorded a reading of 109 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Elaine Havord, mitigating, told magistrates that Hughes had spent £20,000 on a four-week stay in an alcohol rehabilitation clinic since the incident.

Ms Havord said Hughes was aware of her alcohol problem, which had come about as the result of her marriage breakdown two years ago.

Hughes felt "shame and embarrassment" about her appearance in court and was unlikely ever to get behind the wheel again due to a loss of confidence, Ms Havord said.

In addition to her driving ban, unemployed Hughes was fined £350 and ordered to pay £35 prosecution costs.