32-year-old Danielle Tuffrey, who got behind the wheel of her car whilst drunk resulting in a crash with a Police van that injured 2 officers, has been banned from driving for 20 months.
Tuffrey, of Atherley Park Way in Shanklin, failed to stop at a give way line on Leed Street, Sandown back on 20th January. As a result, a Police van travelling along Fitzroy Street ploughed into the side of Tuffrey’s Mini One.
The events management worker, who travels around the world with acts like James Blunt and UB40, previously pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance and driving without an MOT via her solicitor on 4th February. She appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court for sentencing this morning (Tuesday), where the facts of the case were laid out in full.
The court heard from Ann Smout, prosecuting, that Tuffrey’s actions left Police no time to react and the 2 officers inside the marked van sustained whiplash injuries as a result of the impact. They both remain off work.
Mrs Smout told the court that in interview, Tuffrey stated she had consumed just 1 glass of wine with a meal – but that claim was questioned with the prosecution stating it must have been a very large glass of wine or was consumed on top of previous drinking as she blew 62 on the evidential breathalyser.
A previous conviction of being in charge of a motor vehicle whilst drunk from 2019 was revealed to the courtroom.
Defending, Oscar Vincent said that his client deeply regrets the injuries to the officers and throughout has been fully cooperative and apologetic. He told the bench that his client had looked both ways at the junction of Leed Street and Fitzroy Street and didn’t see anything coming, so pulled out. He reinforced Tuffrey’s interview claims of just 1 glass of wine having been consumed with a meal.
Mr Vincent explained that the insurance matter was a result of a technicality due to the wrong registration mark being listed on the documentation. He went on to explain that Tuffrey believed her car had been MOT’ed through the family business, with her mother confirming to the defence solicitor that the Shanklin-based business does normally deal with all of the company and family vehicles, but it hadn’t been done on this occasion.
Magistrates handed Danielle Tuffrey a 20-month driving ban and ordered her to pay a £461 fine, £85 costs and a £46 surcharge.
Too low ban and fines.
A serial drink driver and a minuscule fine/ban? Pathetic. Basically a charter to carry on and do what you want on the roads- with no dedicated RPU this sort of arrogance is rife on our roads.
how can you not see a police van coming lol. I think someone’s telling porky’s!
Of course we all believe you …..
Why wasn’t she jailed,with a lifetime driving ban
So many of these idiots on the roads now. There is no real deterrent. Something has got to change before idiots like her kill innocent motorists or pedestrians.