A12 drink driver is alcohol recovery worker, court told

Katie Chamberlane, 49, was in the Colchester area last month for a funeral and was spotted by officers at 2am on Saturday, October 5 driving near Kelvedon.

Elisabeth Conner, prosecuting read a statement to Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday which was prepared by a police officer following the offence.

Breathaliser - Katie Chamberlane was above the drink drive limit when she was tested by officers (Image: Newsquest)

It read: “I witnessed the driver braking for no apparent reason, almost crossing the white lines either side of the road.”

Chamberlane, who was driving a Nissan Qashqai was stopped and asked to do a breathaliser test which showed she had 59mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The limit is 35. 

She admitted one charge of drink driving, whilst a separate charge of driving without a licence was dropped.

Coral Fitzgerald, mitigating, said Chamberlane’s teenager daughter had phoned her during a medical emergency.

She added Chamberlane, of Weston Road, Ravenstone, Buckinghamshire, had drunk a small amount of alcohol after the funeral without any intention of driving.

She said: “On October 5, she came to this area for a funeral – a very sad event.

“A hotel was booked and she and her husband stayed there.

“Whilst she was at the wake she drank two gins, one given to her by her husband, one by a friend – she went back to the hotel with no intention of driving.”

Ms Fitzgerald added Chamberlane’s daughter had phoned her when she was “extremely unwell” and did what any mother would do in that position.

She continued: “She is a lady who has worked for 15 years as an alcohol and drug recovery worker for the NHS – this is not someone who has a laissez-faire approach to drink or drug driving, because she deals with that in her job.

Charged - Katie Chamberlane was charged with drink driving at Chelmsford police station (Image: Essex Police)

“It is a set of background circumstances that don’t amount to a defence, but they are strong mitigation in the circumstances.”

She concluded Chamberlane would be “delighted” to undertake a drink drive rehabilitation course and that the defendant’s previous convictions were not related to this particular offence.

Chamberlane was banned from driving for 14 months and ordered to pay £891 in costs.