Mother banned from the roads (From The Advertiser Series)
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Mother banned from the roads
1:15pm Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Alexa Copeland, Reporter (Darlington)
A MOTHER-of-three has been banned from the roads after being caught driving while almost four times over the drink drive limit.
Tracey Smith, 44, of Whiley Hill, Coatham Mundeville, Darlington was stopped by police officers on the A68 at 8.40am on September 12 when they spotted one of her tail lights was not working.
The officers asked Smith to take a breath test, which she failed, and a further test at the police station revealed she had 122mg of alcohol in her breath – almost four times the 35mg legal limit.
Smith pleaded guilty to drink driving at Darlington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (November 1).
Mitigating, Liam Brison said that Smith had been drinking at a party the night before and thought she was okay to drive the following morning.
“She is now horrified by that judgement,” said Mr Brison.
Magistrates banned her from driving for 30-months, with the option to reduce the ban by seven months upon completion of a drivers’ rehabilitation course.
She was also fined £800 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
