Shellee Cook: Culburra Beach woman convicted following ‘horrific’ drunken crash

A woman more than five times the legal limit has crashed her car into a tree while taking a drive on the south coast to “clear her head” after downing multiple drinks, a court has heard.

Shellee Cook crashed her car while more than five times the legal limit.

A drunken south coast woman’s decision to take a drive to clear her head – despite being more than five times the limit – has ended in horror after she crashed her car into a tree, a court has heard.

Culburra Beach woman Shellee Cook pleaded guilty to high range drink driving in Nowra Local Court on Tuesday, after she was busted drunkenly driving a Holden Commodore along Culburra Rd on March 15 this year.

Documents tendered to the court reveal it was during this afternoon drive that the 46-year-old lost control of her vehicle, crossing the road laneway and crashing head on into a tree.

The crash was viewed by a witness, who called triple-0.

Upon arriving, officers attached to the South Coast Police District examined Cook to be without injury, however they could smell intoxicating liquor on her breath and saw her eyes to be bloodshot red.

Shellee Cook faced Nowra Local Court on Tuesday.

Agreed facts state the officers asked Cook whether she had consumed any alcohol before driving, to which she stated she consumed a single beer 30 minutes before getting behind the wheel.

However, a breath test revealed a reading of .278 – five and a half times the legal limit.

Shellee Cook was convicted and sentenced to a nine month intensive corrections order.

Cook was arrested and taken to the Nowra Police Station, where a secondary test revealed a lower result of .223, however the new reading was still four and a half times the limit.

In Nowra Local Court on Tuesday, a self represented Cook said she was “remorseful” for her decision to drive, describing the crash as “horrific”.

However, Magistrate Lisa Viney said there were never any excuses for drink driving.

“This is an extremely high reading,” she said.

“You went for a drive to clear your head after drinking multiple drinks, there are no excuses, you knew it was a risk.

“You risked the lives of people around you and yourself.”

Cook told the court she needed her licence for her job as an office manager for a local medical clinic, before noting she wanted to set a good driving example for her two children.

“One is an L plater and the other is a P plater,” she said.

Despite her plea to keep her licence, Ms Viney said the facts in the case were “far too serious”.

Cook was convicted, sentenced to a nine month intensive corrections order and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

Cook’s licence was disqualified for nine months and she will need to have an interlock device installed into her car for 24 months once her licence is return.

Got a news tip? Email us at [e-mail].