Katherine Campbell was allowed to drive with 16 points on her licence after a judge found she would have faced ‘exceptional hardship’ if unable to drive to her job
A teacher who was caught “stumbling” as she put children into a BMW while three times over the drink-driving limit has been allowed to keep her licence thanks to an “exceptional hardship” ruling.
Katherine Campbell was reported to police by a passerby who watched her stumble while putting the youngsters into her BMW 3 series on May 2. The 38-year-old, who works as a teacher at the Alsager School near Crewe, Cheshire, was found to be more than three times the drink driving limit by officers who arrived to administer a breath test, a court heard. The teacher, who denies planning to drive the car, has been allowed to keep her licence after magistrates found restricting her driving could cause her to lose her job.
South Cheshire Magistrates Court heard a passerby called 999 after spotting Campbell as she visited her parents’ house in the Presbury area of Cheshire to feed some cats.
Annika Livermore, prosecuting, said police received a call stating there was a “black BMW with a female driver who appeared to be intoxicated with two children in the car”. The prosecutor added that, when police arrived, they found Campbell “unsteady on her feet”, speaking with slurred speech, and smelling of alcohol.
She continued: “The member of the public approached the female and took the car key from her, preventing her from driving the vehicle. A passerby took the children into a nearby house.
“Police who attended said the defendant was heavily intoxicated. Her speech was slurred, she was unsteady on her feet, and her eyes were glazed. There was a strong smell of intoxicants.” She added the children’s car seats were not clipped in. A roadside breath test revealed the teacher had 117 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliltres of breath, above the legal limit of 35.
Further, evidential readings taken at a police station showed 107 and 97. The court also heard that Campbell had a previous speeding offence on her record, and had six points on her licence for failing to give information about a driver.
Her lawyer, John Wright, said during mitigation that his client had seen “some friends who are neighbours” and “drank two or three gin and soda waters”. He added: “She concedes they were home measures, perhaps far larger than usual. He said while she was “fully aware she had too much to drink” she had never intended to drive.
Mr Wright said: “It was the passerby’s assumption there was an intention to drive, although there never was. When the police arrived, she accepted having had a drink, but she has not had a drink since.
“She says it is just not worth it. She does not have an issue with alcohol.” The lawyer said she could lose her job if she gave up her licence, with her current 40-minute car journey to school increased to “two trains, two buses”. Campbell, from Macclesfield, admitted to being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle and two charges of being drunk and in charge of a child.
She was allowed to keep her licence by chair of the bench Susan Taylor, who handed her a 12-month community order with requirements that she attends 20 days of rehabilitation with the probation service.
She must also pay £199 in costs and a surcharge. Ms Taylor said the court had accepted the “case of exceptional hardship”, and allowed her to keep her licence so she could continue working. But she warned Campbell: “Please be mindful that you are driving around with 16 points on your licence.
“If you come before the court again for any offence to do with driving, you will get a lengthy ban, and I mean lengthy. Please do not be back in here again.”