Louth carer was '˜almost three times over drink-drive limit'

A mobile carer, who drove whilst almost three times over the drink driving limit, will no longer be able to care for her patients, a court has been told.
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Court news

Catherine Salkeld, formerly Giagnacovo, 52, of Grimsby Road in Louth, admitted driving with excess alcohol, when she appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday May 24).

Prosecuting, Paul Wood said police were informed at 12.50am on May 7 by a member of the public, that a Renault Scenic car was being driven poorly along the A157 and they followed the car to Low Farm Road, Muckton, where it was stopped and the driver, Ms Salkeld, gave a positive breath test.

She was arrested and gave a reading of 102 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

She told officers she had drunk three bottles of wine and a cocktail and, in addition, a small amount of cannabis was found on her.

Mitigating, Sully Baig said Ms Salkeld had no previous convictions but had a ‘whole host of difficulties’ and had turned to alcohol as a way of coping.

He said she had taken positive steps to address it and had sought counselling from Addaction, but on this occasion she had been drinking with friends when she had an abusive phone call from her partner and she ‘foolishly decided to go and see him to end the relationship’.

He said Ms Salkeld was a mobile carer and would now not be able to do that.

“This has been a life lesson for her,” he said.

The magistrates said that this was an ‘extremely high reading’ and imposed a 12 month community order requiring her to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work for the community.

She was also banned from driving for 26 months, but was offered the drink drivers’ rehabilitation course, which would reduce the period of the ban by 26 weeks.

She was also ordered to pay £170 in costs and charges.