A mother-of-three who was caught drink driving to a supermarket has avoided jail after telling the court that she had developed an alcohol problem while shielding during the lockdown.
Joanne Resina, 53, was arrested at a Tesco car park in Wilmslow, Cheshire, last month after other motorists reported seeing her Toyota Aygo veer across to the wrong side of the carriageway and hit a kerb.
Tests showed the former pub landlady was almost three times the alcohol limit.
Divorcee Resina has since appeared at Stockport Magistrates Court where she admitted drink driving but said alcohol had ‘become a feature of her life’ since she had confined to her home due to coronavirus.
She also claimed she was having a panic attack at the time arising out of ‘family issues’ and splitting up with her boyfriend.
Resina was fined £555, ordered to pay £140 in costs and surcharges and banned from the driving for 26 months.
She is now also planning to get help for her alcohol issues.
Joanne Resina, 53, was arrested at a Tesco car park in Wilmslow, Cheshire, last month after other motorists reported seeing her Toyota Aygo veer across to the wrong side of the carriageway and hit a kerb
The incident occurred at 5.45pm on February 19 after Resina, who had been drinking white wine as well as gin and tonic during the afternoon, ventured out to buy some groceries as part of her essential shopping.
Prosecutor Gareth Hughes said that Resina was seen by two witnesses pulling away from a set of traffic lights before she veered to the other side of the carriageway.
She then mounted the kerb as she tried to enter a supermarket car park before coming to a stop ‘at an angle in the parking bay’.
A male witness got out of his car and approached the defendant out of concern.
Mr Hughes said: ‘He knocked on her window and asker it she was OK. She told him she was having a panic attack. He smelt alcohol in her breath and called police.’
Police arrived at the scene and found Resina sat in the driver’s seat before she was breathalysed.
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Divorcee Resina has since appeared at Stockport Magistrates Court (stock image) where she admitted drink driving but said alcohol had ‘become a feature of her life’ since she had confined to her home due to coronavirus
Mr Hughes added: ‘She initially said she had not been driving but then asked to be re-interviewed. She said she was in a bad place emotionally and thought she was having a nervous breakdown due to family issues.
‘She confirmed she had drunk wine at lunch and then a gin and tonic before driving to the supermarket.
‘She had eaten very little that day so the alcohol affected her more than it normally would have done.’
Tests showed Resina had 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – with the legal limit being 35mg.
In mitigation her lawyer Charles Stansfield said Resina had been shielding at home – apart from outings to exercise – and that the Tesco store was just a few hundred yards from her house.
Her employers have since agreed to pay for counselling for her drinking until she can get support through the NHS.
Mr Stansfield said: ‘She appears to have developed a drink problem during the lockdown and has been taking medication for depression and anxiety due to underlying mental health problems as well.
‘She has two daughters aged 25 and 18 and a 14-year-old son with autism. Their father abandoned the family three years ago to go and live in Spain.
‘She managed to keep it all together despite some mental health issues until the lockdown when she has been shielding in an even more extreme way than most of us.
‘She did enjoy a drink before lockdown but it has become more of a feature of her life since lockdown started. However she is 100 per cent clear that she has never got behind the wheel of a car when at all drunk before.’
He said that the car had been ‘playing up’ which caused Resina to have a panic attack.
‘On the day in question everything became too much for her. Her boyfriend of four months had ended their relationship and that was perhaps the tipping point for her.’
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