Mum busted almost four times the limit after drink driving to help a mate

A mum got behind the wheel while almost four times the legal limit after getting a distressed call from her friend. Read what the court was told here.

Emma Jane Brown appeared before Darwin Local Court judge Greg MacDonald to plead guilty high range drink driving, on Saturday October 12, 2024.

A mum was handcuffed and put in the back of a police paddy wagon after getting behind the wheel almost four times the legal limit.

On Monday Emma Jane Brown appeared before Darwin Local Court judge Greg MacDonald to plead guilty to high range drink driving, after being pulled over on Cavenagh St Darwin with a 0.193 blood alcohol reading on Saturday October 12, 2024.

“What on earth was your client doing that night?” Mr MacDonald asked defence lawyer Koulla Roussos.

Ms Roussos said the 44-year-old mother was not out clubbing, rather she was drinking at home when she got a call from a distressed friend who had a fight with her boyfriend at a Darwin nightclub.

“She was crying on the phone and requesting that Emma … come to her assistance,” she said.

Ms Roussos said Brown exercised “poor judgement” in going to pick her friend, which became clear when she saw the flash of cop car lights signalling for her to pull over.

Emma Jane Brown pleaded guilty to high range drink driving, after being pulled over on Cavenagh St Darwin with a 0.193 blood alcohol reading on Saturday October 12, 2024.

“She was handcuffed, she was placed in the back of a paddy wagon, she was driven to Palmerston,” Ms Roussos said.

“She was kept in the Palmerston watch house until she was processed and bailed in a watch house cell.”

Ms Roussos said for the career woman with an “unblemished” driving record and an exceptionally good character, this was a particularly confronting scene.

She said while it would not impact Brown’s current role as an NT Health executive officer, a conviction could impact her promotion across the wider public service.

Having already been hit with the mandatory 12-month licence suspension, Ms Roussos said Brown was catching an Uber to work each day, which came at a high financial cost.

“There was punishment that flowed,” she said.

Mr MacDonald chose to not impose a conviction, but still fined her $1200 and disqualified her from driving for 12 months.

Warning her against driving while suspended, Mr MacDonald said: “You’ve already experienced the humiliation and deprivation of a watch house cell … I can assure you that Holtze would be even more confronting”.

Originally published as Mum busted almost four times the limit after drink driving to help a mate