Elise Egan: Drunk driver blew more than six times the legal limit
Cops watched in horror as a drunken motorist swerved across the road, mounted a nature strip and narrowly missed a parked car before registering .328.
South East
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A drunk who had an alcohol reading more than six times the legal limit thought she was “OK” to get behind the wheel, a court has heard.
Elise Marie Egan recorded a blood-alcohol content of .328 after she was intercepted by concerned cops who were fearful she would end up causing a major crash.
She told police she didn’t think she was over the limit and was capable of driving, even though her on-road actions were far from safe.
The 52-year-old Mornington woman pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard police were patrolling the Nepean Highway in Mornington at 7pm on June 29 last year when they noticed a car swerving left and right across the lanes.
Egan’s vehicle briefly stopped in the middle of the road before she moved off again, drove over a nature strip and just missed a parked car.
Officers pulled her over, she tested positive on a preliminary breath test and then blew .328 back at the police station.
She told them “I felt OK” and “I can’t believe it (the reading) was that high”.
Her car was impounded for 30 days and she lost her licence on the spot.
Defence lawyer Daniel Hombsch said on that day Egan had been the victim of a family violence incident and had locked herself in her bedroom.
He said she consumed alcohol before ringing a friend, who was unaware she had been drinking, who invited her to come to her house.
He said she then got in her car and tried to drive to her mate’s place, but was stopped by police on the way.
He said his remorseful client was unemployed and sleeping in a friend’s factory, but was hopeful of getting employment and stable accommodation soon.
Magistrate Charles Tan said she was six-and-a-half times over the limit.
“Your driving was aberrant, that’s why you came to the attention of police,” Mr Tan said.
“You put in danger not only your own life, but those of other road users as well.”
Egan was convicted, fined $2500 and banned from driving for 30 months, backdated to June last year.
