Ex-wife of V8 supercar driver Paul Morris pleads guilty after cops find her drunk and asleep at wheel of parked car

A V8 SUPERCAR driver’s ex-wife has lost her licence after being found drunk and asleep at the wheel of a parked car following the Gold Coast Marathon.

Alana Julie Morris leaves the Southport Magistrates Court after being sentenced for being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence. Picture: Meagan Weymes

THE ex-wife of a Bathurst V8 Supercar champion has lost her licence after blowing nearly five times the limit at the wheel of a parked car.

Alana Julie Morris, the former wife of racing car driver Paul Morris, was charged when found asleep in the car with the keys in the ignition in Robina following the Gold Coast Marathon on July 5.

The vehicle was spotted pulled over on the side of the road with the headlights on.

The 42-year-old blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.248 and was charged with being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of liquor.
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She was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

In the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday Morris pleaded guilty to the offence at her first court appearance.

Solicitor Natasha Hollows told the court her client ran 42km in the Gold Coast Marathon on the day of the offence.

Ms Hollows said Morris called into a friend’s house and had four glasses of red wine after the five-hour run.

She said Morris was dehydrated and hadn’t eaten after the marathon.

“For somebody who’s not normally a drinker, the alcohol certainly would have had a greater impact on her,” she said.

“In hindsight she realises that she should have taken more care.”

Ms Hollows said her client wouldn’t lose her part-time ­retail job while disqualified as she could rely on public transport.

“That said she’s now unable to drive her son to and from school,” she said.

“She’s also now effectively reliant on her ex-husband to facilitate drop-offs.”

The court was told Morris had completed the Queensland Traffic Offenders Program and was remorseful for her actions.

Magistrate John Costanzo said Morris was charged with being in charge of a vehicle rather than drink-driving, which was an important distinction in terms of sentencing.

He said the reason for the charge was that too many people who were in charge of a motor vehicle while drunk made the poor decision to drive.

“Had you woken up before the police arrived, there was always the risk that you would then drive the vehicle,” he said.

“It was a grave mistake, the consequences could have been much more serious.”

Mr Costanzo rejected the explanation of dehydration after the marathon to explain the “extremely high reading”.

“Having little to eat will ­result in the alcohol hitting your system quicker and therefore impairing judgment, but it doesn’t do much to the ­reading.

“I don’t think that suffices as an explanation.”

He accepted the offending was out of character and noted that Morris was considered ­reliable by her peers.