Andrea Elizabeth Ainscow pleads guilty to high-range drink-driving in Noosa

A woman has broken down in tears as she told a Noosa court about the events that led to her blowing nearly five times the legal limit. Read the details.

A mum who was nearly five times over the legal limit when she crashed her car into a trailer and a parked vehicle, before hitting a tree, has faced a Noosa court.

Andrea Elizabeth Ainscow, 42, of Tewantin, cried as she told Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist that she was dealing with her mother’s battle with cancer and at risk of becoming homeless when she got behind the wheel on May 14, 2022.

Ainscow pleaded guilty in the Noosa Magistrates Court on September 6, 2022, to driving without due care and attention and high-range drink-driving.

Mr Stjernqvist fined her $1100 and disqualified her from driving for 11 months.

Police prosecutor Phillip Stephens said Ainscow had been drinking since 10am at a Noosaville pub when she drove a black Toyota Corolla to a friend’s house that evening and then got behind the wheel again.

Andrea Elizabeth Ainscow outside the Noosa Courthouse on September 6, 2022.

Sergeant Stephens said the defendant was driving on Noosa Pde about 10.20pm with a passenger when she hit a boat trailer.

He said the impact of the crash pushed the trailer into a gate.

“The defendant’s vehicle then continued on and collided into the back of a parked Ford Ranger,” Sergeant Stephens said.

The police prosecutor said Ainscow then hit a tree on a nature strip.

With airbags going off, witnesses rushed to help and later identified Ainscow as the driver.

She was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and tested about 1.15am, which resulted in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.225 per cent, the court heard.

Sergeant Stephens said Ainscow told police she could not remember any interaction with ambulance officers.

The defendant, who represented herself, became overcome with emotion and at times unintelligible as she addressed Mr Stjernqvist.

She said she was embarrassed and ashamed following the incident.

“I’m not an alcoholic,” she said.

“At that particular time there had been a significant amount of stress in my life including a risk of homelessness and my mother’s battle with cancer.”

She said there had also been much upheaval in her children’s life at the time.

Ainscow said she understood the significant harm she could have caused others and had stopped drinking as a result of the incident.

Mr Stjernqvist said it was obvious there was a lot of remorse.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Andrea Elizabeth Ainscow pleads guilty to high-range drink-driving in Noosa