Drink driver’s antics fail to trick sharp-eyed cops

After she was stopped by police for swerving over the road, a 20-year-old woman tried to fool police by climbing from the driver’s seat into the back and pretending to be asleep while cops banged on the window.

A woman who was caught driving more than three times the legal limit in Ulmarra has been convicted of high range drink driving.

A Maclean woman’s attempts at pulling a switcheroo on police after she was pulled over for swerving across the road and speeding in Ulmarra have ended with her conviction for high range drink driving.

Adele Maree Gibson Waters faced Grafton Local Court on Monday after pleading guilty to driving with high range PCA.

The court heard that about midnight on November 15 last year officers from Coffs/Clarence Police District were heading towards Grafton on Big River Way at Ulmarra when they saw a red Hyundai i30 in the town driving at a speed they believed to be above the speed limit.

Court documents reveal police saw the vehicle serve from side to side in the southbound lane. Police followed for around 500m where a speed check was conducted, confirming their suspicions the vehicle was going more than the posted 50km/h speed limit.

According to the agreed facts police stopped the vehicle at Ulmarra and as they got out of their vehicle they saw a female climb from the driver’s seat to the rear passenger seat. As police approached the car they saw the woman pretending to be asleep in the back, as well as a male passed out in the front seat.

The court heard police yelled out to the woman, but she didn’t respond. The officers then attempted to open the car door, which was locked. Police banged on the window, which woke the male passenger, who then unlocked the door. Police opened the rear door of the vehicle, and the female got out, asking what was going on.

Court documents state police told her that she was seen climbing from the vacant driver’s seat into the back and told to “stop playing games”. The woman said that she had to get her brother home, as he had a sick child.

The woman, who was unsteady on her feet and slurring her words was breath tested, which returned a positive reading and she was arrested in order to obtain a second sample from Grafton Police Station which gave a reading of 0.153.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden convicted Gibson Waters of driving with high range PCA and driving a motor vehicle while licence suspended. Gibson Waters was sentenced to a community correction order for a period of 12 months. The order is subject to the condition that Gibson Waters subject to supervision by a Community Corrections officer, and must participate and complete a Sober Driver program.

The court also disqualified the offender from holding a driver’s/rider’s licence for six months.

Originally published as