A woman arrested twice for driving with excess alcohol and once for failing to stop has been banned from driving for three years.

A hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court was told yesterday how Eileen Fellows, 57, of Mariners Way, Maldon, had admitted two counts of driving with excess alcohol and one of failing to stop a motor vehicle when required at an earlier hearing in August.

Jon Trussler, prosecuting, said that on July 2 at about 11:50pm, Fellows was driving her Ford Escort car along the A414. Police officers attempted to stop her but she carried on driving for about 30 minutes.

He said after taking a breath test she was found to have a 94mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

He said on July 12, Fellows was again stopped by officers in her Ford Escort, this time on Mariners Way, Maldon, and had a 60mcg reading.

Peter Butterfield, mitigating, said that the second offence had been the catalyst for Mrs Fellows to change her behaviour. He was concerned a custodial sentence might damage the progress she had made.

Chairman of the bench, David Lucas, sentencing for the first offence of driving with excess alcohol on July 3, handed Fellows a community punishment Order of 80 hours, a community rehabilitation order for 12 months and banned her from driving for three years.

For the second offence of driving with excess alcohol on July 12 she received a three-year driving disqualification, community rehabilitation order and community punishment order of 12 hours, all to run concurrently with the first charge.

Published Tuesday, September 14, 2004

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