A Sandown woman who almost crashed into a Southern Vectis bus whilst nearly 4x the drink-drive limit has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Louise Barlow, 48, of Fitzroy Street, admitted a single charge of drink driving when she appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court last month (Friday 2nd June).
Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that on the evening of 17th May, at around 17:30, Police were notified of a possible drink driver after receiving a call from a member of the public saying that a vehicle – a Volvo XC40 – was being driven into oncoming traffic and swerving in the road, nearly hitting a bus in the area around Tesco Extra on Brading Road.
Officers located the vehicle on Great Preston Road noticing that Barlow – the only occupant in the vehicle – was on the incorrect side of the road. It was heard in court how officers thought the 48-year-old to be intoxicated.
The car continued to drive through Ryde and was seen driving slowly on St John’s Hill and Warwick Street until officers activated blue lights on George Street, eventually stopping the Swedish motor in Co-op car park near Anglesea Street.
Barlow was asked to step out of the vehicle and complete a roadside breath test, which she failed. At Newport Police Station an evidential reading was taken which returned a reading of 136 – nearly 4x the legal limit of 35.
Defending, Barry Culshaw said that Barlow was facing significant issues in her personal life.
The case was adjourned until last Thursday (7th July) when a pre-sentence report was taken into consideration.
At that hearing, Magistrates handed the 48-year-old an 8-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, stating the sentence was suspended due to the level of remorse shown by Barlow and the fact that persons in her care would be directly impacted by a period of immediate custody.
She was also handed a 30-month driving ban and ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days. Barlow was ordered to pay £85 costs with a £154 surcharge.
Omg is that all she got? Bet she still drives, if she can drive intoxicated no problem driving whilst banned! There is absolutely no deterrent to commit a crime nowadays it’s laughable. Lucky she didn’t hurt or kill someone?
We all face significant issues in our personal life but don’t do this. Lucky persons not in her care weren’t harmed. Clear positive discrimination for a womb carrier, a man with no dependents would have been banged up. Judicial system have got this wrong. Hope prosecution appeal this lenient sentence.
Have you got a recent example of a man being ‘banged up’ for drink driving?
Is there any law and order on the Island??
Yes if you don’t pay parking racket fines or criminaly taken council tax
But other than that nope.
That’s about right, drop a cigarette butt and all help breaks loose.
Twice the legal limit demands being kept in custody , attends court banned immediately, full sentence within 3 weeks. No drink drive / drug drive should be dealt with swiftly , this will show the deterant risk to the people that commit this type of offence
Scum like this should be banned from driving for life with it being a mandatory part of the sentence that should they be caught driving again they go straight to jail, it was driving into oncoming traffic and could easily caused a crash and killed an innocent motorist minding their own business.
Same excuse every time someone is caught drink driving, ‘was having personal problems at the time’. We all have personal problems at times but don’t all go out and drive a vehicle if we’ve had too much to drink. Good job she didn’t kill someone then might know about personal problems.
The criminal system on the island needs a complete overall the amount of drink drivers and drug drivers who get pety fines and bans is an absolute disgrace these people should have jail terms forget the sob story’s of oh I have kids or a job or who would look after my goldfish…. They should be in jail for at least a year
Perhaps short sharp custodial sentences should be the norm instead of the norm being let off ,this is no deterent to her or others it’s just stupid .