Mum was caught drink driving twice in a week after “traumatic” break up

Helen Davis was pulled over on both occasions after her bad driving alerted passing police officers.

She was first arrested in the early hours of January 8 this year in Suffolk Road, Bournemouth after swerving over white lines on the road as she drove her Nissan Qashqai.

When given a breath test, Davis, of Sandringham Road in Poole, was found to have 64 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Just days later, on January 14, PC Mark Palmer pulled over the defendant after she “almost collided with a cyclist” and failed to indicate at the Springbourne roundabout.

On this occasion, Davis gave a reading of 41mg per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Keith O’Neill, mitigating at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court, said Davis spent a weekend behind bars after being arrested for the second time.

“My client acknowledges she has been extremely foolish,” he said.

“Two offences of a similar matter have been committed within a week.

“To a certain extent, she has been substantially punished in relation to the second offence.

“When she was arrested [for the second offence], a custody sergeant, noticing she was already charged with one offence, decided to keep her in custody all weekend.

“She spent a very uncomfortable weekend in the police station.”

The defendant, 36, has a previous conviction for an unrelated offence in 2004.

She admitted both offences.

Mr O’Neill said: “She has been under some pressure recently because there has been the breakdown of a relationship.

“This has brought its own pressure to bear upon her.”

He said the break-up had been “traumatic” for the defendant and caused her to become “concerned for her behaviour”.

“She has enrolled on a drink awareness course,” he said.

“It is very much to her credit.”

Davis, who works in domestic care, was disqualified from driving for 22 months and fined £465 for each offence.

She must also pay court costs which bring the total to £1,062.