Natalia Shvedova: Russian expat suffered from visa anxieties the night she got behind a wheel drunk, court hears

A Russian expat who blew more than three times the legal blood alcohol concentration limit was suffering from visa anxieties the night she got behind the wheel, a court has heard. Read why she was worried:

A Russian hairdresser who racked up an alcohol reading of 0.174, was dealing with visa stress in the lead up to her drunken drive, a court has heard.

Natalia Shvedova pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor at the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The court heard police were called to a traffic jam caused by a “suspected intoxicated driver” on the M1 at Pimpama and found Shvedova in a stationary car around 11.50pm on November 27, 2024.

Police attempted five times to get Shvedova to take a breath test before eventually arresting her and taking her to the Pimpama police station.

Officers noticed Shvedova smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and her speaking was slow and slurred. While moving her car to a safe location, police also saw an empty bottle of scotch in the driver’s footwell.

The court heard that Shvedova initially told police she hadn’t consumed any alcohol but later admitted to drinking.

Her tests later returned a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.174 - more than three times over the legal limit.

Shvedova’s defence lawyer David Cole told the court his client was a Russian national who had been issued a partner visa on November 26, a day before her drunken drive.

Russian hairdresser Natalia Shvedova. Picture: Facebook

He said his client had been worried about her migration status and wasn’t told the news about her visa until after the offence.

“That was the cause of some stress and anxiety about it because her partner was worried as well,” he said.

Mr Cole said his client speaks Russian and her refusal of the breath tests arose from confusion with directions.

He said Shvedova had since sworn off alcohol and finished a Queensland Traffic Offenders Program.

Mr Cole also said Shvedova travels overseas regularly and is sometimes required to drive hire cars.

Magistrate Wetenhall said that Shvedova risked injury or worse to herself that night but accepted that she was undergoing treatment for a range of issues.

She was ordered to pay a $950 fine with a 7 month disqualification period. No conviction was recorded.