Selston drink driver (70) downed bottle of vodka and 'zig-zagged'

A concerned motorist followed Margaret Adams’ silver Citreon after he saw the driver “had no control of it” on Nottingham Road, Selston, on February 28.

“He was worried it would collide with oncoming traffic,” said Ruth Snodin, prosecuting.

“He kept a safe distance and followed it to her home on Spruce Avenue.

“She fell out of the vehicle and banged her head. The motorist helped her into her house as the police arrived.”

Adams was arrested and taken to hospital where a test revealed she had 145 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, when the legal limit is 80 microgrammes.

She told police she had tried to end her life by drinking a bottle of vodka, but passed out and woke up, covered in vomit, then decided to drive home.

She said she had become depressed by renovation work on her home and had rowed with her partner.

Bill Saughton, mitigating, said: “She got very depressed, very down. Her house had been in constant turmoil since December.

“Her partner of 44 years rushed everything through. They had been living out of boxes. It was all too much for her. She was trying to keep on top of that and work part time as a carer.

“She decided she wanted to end her life and was going to do that by drinking a bottle of vodka. She drank most of it and woke up in a terrible state.

“Her house is now back in order and things are better.”

Adams admitted drink driving when she appeared before magistrates in Mansfield, on Wednesday.

She was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge. She was banned for 17 months.