AN ALCOHOLIC has been sentenced to nine months off the road after she blew 0.225.
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Chelsea Walker, 44, pleaded guilty to high range drink-driving in Armidale Local Court on Monday.
Residents called police to the Apex lookout at 8:20pm November 1 with reports of erratic driving.
Walker appeared unable to understand what officers were saying to her when they arrived, according to police evidence.
She was told four times to put the car into park and turn the engine off before officers had to turn the ignition off for her.
Helped into the cage of the paddy wagon due to her level of intoxication, police found six empty cans of bourbon and coke, two unopened cans and a six pack of beer in the car.
Magistrate Michael Holmes said he was very concerned about the blood alcohol reading.
“The fact that police were called to the lookout area where she was driving with erratic behaviour, it ticks all the boxes,” he said.
“She’s got a dreadful set of circumstances behind it, but her behaviour could then impact on somebody else.
“It’s an ongoing virus, someone could be driving around happy and next thing that’s taken from them.”
Walker was supported in court by members of her Alcoholics Anonymous group.
The court heard Walker had not drunk alcohol for 61 days.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Cheryl Hall said it was an extremely high reading.
It’s an ongoing virus, someone could be driving around happy and next thing that’s taken from them.
- Magistrate Michael Holmes
“The police were called so there are aggravating features,” Sergeant Hall said.
“I’ve read the papers provided by the psychologist – it certainly supports Ms Walker has had a great deal of difficulty [with alcohol].”
A Probation and Parole report said Walker was pleased she was intercepted by police and called the incident a “blessing in disguise”.
Walker was sentence to a suspended jail term of 18 months, disqualified from driving for nine months and will have an interlock fitted to her vehicle for two years.