Hebburn woman crashed into a lamppost whilst driving drunk in Jarrow
A South Tyneside mum drove while drunk after fleeing her “cad” boyfriend’s home after he revealed he had had sex with another woman, a court heard.
Hannah Gordon, 31, drove away but crashed into a lamppost in The Willows, Jarrow, at 4am on Wednesday, January 22.
Gordon, of Coniston Avenue, Hebburn, was arrested at her parents’ home after they informed police of the accident in a bid to help her deal with night’s events.
She had consumed alcohol at her then partner’s home and had more after the accident, boosting her breath test reading to almost twice the limit.
Her solicitor, Harry Burn, told borough magistrates there was potential in law to argue her reading may have been below the limit at the time of her driving.
But he said Gordon, who has no previous convictions, accepted she had drunk before driving and wanted to enter a guilty plea.
After hearing the facts, magistrates took pity and stepped outside their sentencing guidelines, banning her from the roads for 12 months, instead of a minimum of 17.
Prosecutor John Garside said: “At approximately 4am police attended a road traffic collision involving a vehicle and a lamppost.
“They noticed that a white Seat Leon had collided with a lamppost, which was lying horizontal on the grass.
“They attended the owner’s parents’ home, and the defendant was arrested. She told police she had left her boyfriend’s following an argument.”
Gordon, who pleaded guilty to drink driving, gave a reading for alcohol in breath of 65mcg. The legal limit is 35mcg.
Mr Burn said: “There was an argument with her boyfriend. What the cad of a boyfriend did was show him having sex with another girl.
“She contacted her parents. She then hit the lamppost. Her parents were so upset they called the police.
“She did have a drink afterwards, but she accepts that she had a drink earlier. She says, ‘I did leave his home because of the way he was behaving with me’.
“Her partner in effect pushed her out of the house. She went home and had another drink. She wants to come to court and say the truth.
“She was honest and said in interview that she had had a drink earlier and drank subsequently.
“She recognises that today she will be disqualified. This will impact her getting her son where he needs to go.
“We’re now in the process of getting a non-molestation order.”
Magistrates told Gordon she “must have been in some state” as the night’s events unfolded.
John Lee, chair of the bench, said: “It’s a good job it was a lamppost and not someone crossing the road.
“It’s a disqualification of at least 17 months, but we have sympathy about the reasons why you drove while under the influence of alcohol.
“We’re going to step outside of our guidelines.”
Gordon was also fined £120, with £85 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.