Drunk accountant caught with bottle of vodka in her hand after crashing car into ditch

Nicola Davies was found to be three-and-a-half times over the legal drink drive limit following the incident in Higham, Alfreton, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday, October 7.

The 52-year-old, of Dale View, Stretton, Alfreton, had initially told police that she had only started drinking following the collision, which took place on April 5 this year, but back calculations showed that that was not the case, the court heard.

Prosecuting, Lynn Bickley told the court: “It was just before 1am when police received a call from a member of the public saying they had seen a car going into a ditch.

“When officers arrived she refused to get out of the car and there was a bottle of vodka between her legs. She then raised it, as if to take a drink, but police were able to prevent her from doing so.

“She said she bought the vodka and drove around and she sneezed, and the next she knew she was in the ditch and wedged against a bush. She told police she had only drunk the vodka after the accident.”

When tested, Davies, who has a previous conviction for failing to provide a specimen dating back to 2006, blew 122mg of alcohol to 100ml of breath, when the legal limit is 35mg.

She had admitted drink driving, driving without due care and attention and driving without an MOT when she appeared before the court at a previous hearing on September 9, and the case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports.

Mitigating, Julie Page said: “She had struggled through the early stages of lockdown. She lost her employment very early on because the accountancy sector was very quickly impacted by the pandemic, and problems with her relationship were also brought to the fore.”

Davies was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and must complete 12 rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service and 120 hours of unpaid work.

She was also banned from driving for 30 months and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £122 victim surcharge.

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