Jessica Jansen sentenced for high-range drink-driving

A Hunter drink-driver who was taken down by police and handcuffed after she lashed out at them for trying to arrest her has learned her fate in court.

Jessica Jansen.

A Hunter drink-driver who was taken to the ground and handcuffed after lashing out at police who attempted to apprehend her has been banned from alcohol for 18 months.

Jessica Jansen, 36, was pulled over on September 15 after alarmed motorists called police as they witnessed her car swerving repeatedly into oncoming traffic in Lorn on September 15 last year.

Agreed police facts state officers saw Jansen turn onto Queen St and activated their warning lights in efforts to pull her over.

“The driver continued for some time, struggling to keep the vehicle on the correct side of the road, until it finally came to a stop,” the facts state.

Jansen then struggled to unlock the door and then made at least six attempts to blow into a breathalyser before she finally provided a sufficient sample.

She returned a positive result and police then advised her she was under arrest.

Jessica Jansen.

“The accused attempted to walk away from police, when police grabbed hold of her by the arm to stop her from fleeing,” the facts state.

“The accused has swung her arm backwards, pushing police and yelled words to the effect of ‘f**k off’.”

Jansen was then handcuffed on the ground before a breath analysis at Maitland police station returned a high range result of 0.220 – more than four times the legal limit.

She pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving at Downing Centre Local Court in November last year and faced Magistrate Alison Viney for sentence on January 25.

Jessica Jansen.

Jansen was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community correction order with supervision from Community Corrections.

She will be required to accept any mental health treatment required by them and to abstain from alcohol for the entire term of the order.

Jansen was further disqualified from driving for seven months, having been suspended from driving immediately after she was charged in September.

She will then be required to use an interlock device – which prevents a vehicle from switching on unless the driver blows a zero alcohol result – for two years.