Nine times over: Gemma Purcell pleads guilty to high-range drink driving
A drink-driving south coast woman has pleaded guilty to having one of NSW’s highest-ever breath test readings after she crashed her car and ‘vomited a little’.
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An Illawarra woman who returned one of the state’s highest-ever breath test readings says she “didn’t believe” the result, telling police she’d only had one beer, and one glass of wine.
Gemma Purcell was charged with high-range drink driving last year, after police found her crying in a Cringila gutter next to her crashed Suzuki Swift, with a blood alcohol reading almost nine-times over the legal limit.
The 34-year-old faced Wollongong Local Court on Thursday, where she changed her plea from not guilty, to guilty, telling Magistrate Geraldine Beattie she originally thought there “may have been a problem” with the police breathalysing system, and “didn’t believe” the shocking reading.
In documents tendered to the court, it was alleged Purcell was a “heavy drinker”, with her boyfriend telling police that she “drank every day” at the time of her arrest on July 21.
Police were called to Springhill Road at Cringila around 2pm that afternoon after reports a car had crashed into a fence. Upon her arrival, court documents say police found Purcell crying by the side of the road, and immediately noticed the smell of alcohol on her breath.
Police questioned Purcell about whether she’d been drinking, prompting her to reply with “yes. I had a wine at lunch with mum”.
Police then subjected her to a roadside breath test, which returned the extremely high reading of 0.450 - nine times over the legal limit.
Purcell was arrested on the spot and taken to Port Kembla Police Station where she underwent another breath test, which this time returned a reading of 0.432.
After police again questioned her about what she’d had to drink that day, Purcell said she’d also had a 375ml bottle of Tooheys New, but that she “vomited a little” after drinking it.
In court documents, police noted that Purcell was able to walk and talk “without much problem”, despite the high reading.
Purcell represented herself at court on Thursday, where she said she no longer wanted to fight the charge, and asked to be sentenced by Magistrate Beattie.
Magistrate Beattie noted the serious nature of the charge and advised Purcell to seek legal advice before she adjourned the matter.
Purcell, who was supported by her boyfriend, tried to hide her identity from the waiting media as she left court, wearing a large hat and sunglasses.
She will return to court for sentencing next month.