Former councillor found behind wheel of Range Rover after drinking 'enormous' amount of wine gets driving ban
A former councillor who drank an “enormous” amount of wine before being caught by police in her Range Rover wept as she was banned from the road.
Emma Holton was more than four times the drink drive limit when officers found her near the Four Crosses Garage in Holyhead Road, Bicton, Shrewsbury.
Telford Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday (July 16) that officers on patrol in the county town were deployed to Holyhead Road after a member of the public reported someone they suspected of drink driving away from the garage.
Holton, who previously represented Ledbury South on Herefordshire Council for the Conservative party and later as an independent, was found in her Range Rover Velar around 300 metres down the road, parked up in a layby.
The 52-year-old was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drink while in charge of a vehicle and provided a breath reading of 144 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit in England and Wales is 35mcg per 100ml.
Holton, of Lambourne Close, Ledbury, Herefordshire, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal alcohol limit. She has no previous convictions.
Kim Roberts, mitigating, urged magistrates to consider stopping short of banning Holton from driving because the Crown Prosecution Service charged her with being “in charge” of the vehicle, rather than the more serious offence of drink driving. She said Holton would struggle to be able to work without her driving licence.
