Drink-driver who blew four times over the limit turned to booze to deal with her daughter’s death
A 63-year-old mother who hit the bottle hard after losing her 27-year-old daughter in tragic circumstances has been banned from driving for blowing four times over the legal limit.
South East
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A high-range drink-driver who turned to the bottle after the sudden death of her daughter has been placed on a good behaviour bond.
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge told the tearful 63-year-old his leniency was because of her sad situation.
Judy Richards, who registered .208 after being caught behind the wheel in a routine police stop last year, pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge at court yesterday.
Frankston Magistrates’ Court heard she had become addicted to alcohol as a way to try and deal with the grief of finding her young daughter dead in their Frankston South family home.
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The court heard police pulled her over on Cranbourne Rd in Frankston at around 9.40pm on August 10 last year.
She tested positive to a preliminary breath test and was taken back to the nearby police station. She was unable to provide an evidentiary sample on five occasions before she successfully recorded a reading.
She registered .208, or four times over the legal limit, and her licence was taken on the spot.
She told police that she had driven while drunk because she was under “extreme stress levels”.
In court Richards’ lawyer said the catalyst for the offending was very sad.
She said in December 2017 her 27-year-old daughter was found deceased in their home.
In the months following she had not got any support, and she began drinking excessively due to being overcome by grief.
Richards, who now lives in Langwarrin, now attends grief counselling and alcohol addiction support programs and groups, she said.
A Coroner has been unable to find a cause of her daughter’s death.
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Her only previous prior traffic offence was driving an unregistered car back in 1983.
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge told a tearful Richards he would take the highly unusual step of giving her a bond because of her sad situation.
“You have indeed been a careful, responsible driver; you have been a good, productive member of the community,” Mr Lethbridge said.
“It appears you self-medicated with alcohol to deal with the trauma of the untimely and tragic death.”
Richards was placed on a 12-month non-conviction good behaviour bond and must continue to attend counselling. Her licence was disqualified for 20 months, backdated to August.
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