Serial drink driver behind city crash was seven times the alcohol limit and disqualified at the time

A court has heard how police found a serial drink driver slurring her words with glazed eyes after she caused a crash in Launceston last month. The woman blew seven times the legal alcohol limit.

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A SERIAL drink driver found highly intoxicated, slurring, stinking of alcohol and with glazed eyes after a car crash last month was disqualified at the time a court has heard.

Renita Anne Bingley, 47, pleaded guilty to several driving, drug and family violence charges in Launceston Magistrates Court on Monday.

The court heard she was over the legal blood alcohol limit by more than seven times when she crashed her gold BMW X5 into a stationary car at a set of traffic lights in Launceston about 7pm on July 14.

She pulled over and sat in the driver’s seat of her four-wheel drive until police arrived and arrested her for driving while disqualified.

They described Ms Bingley as being highly intoxicated with red and glazed eyes, slurring her words and smelling of alcohol.

A breath test returned a positive indication and she was arrested and taken to the police station where a further test returned an alcohol reading of 0.354.

Ms Bingley was charged with driving disqualified and without a license, exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit and driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor “to the extent [she was] incapable of having proper control of the vehicle”.

She was also charged with breaching bail and conditions of a notice set on June 24 when she appeared in court facing family violence charges.

Prosecution said Ms Bingley had also been caught drink driving at more than five times the legal limit two months earlier after a member of the public witnessed and reported her to police.

Defence lawyer Grant Tucker said Ms Bingley “fell off the wagon” when her business went into administration and she lost access to her psychologists and therapists due to COVID-19.

He said she had “wrestled with alcohol addiction” at times due to post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety stemming from past trauma.

Mr Tucker said Bingley “has insight, understands the significance of her actions and is disappointed in herself”.

Magistrate Simon Brown adjourned the matter for sentencing on Wednesday.