Thursday, June 07, 2012

Britain's worst female drunk driver was 5.4 times over the limit and driving to get more alcohol

A mother was spared jail despite driving while almost five and a half times over the limit - the highest alcohol reading for a woman ever recorded in the UK. Tracey Chambers, 35, downed three bottles of wine before she was stopped by officers while driving erratically. Chambers told officers she had left her young child at home while she drove to an off-licence for more alcohol.

She was arrested on April 13 on suspicion of being unfit to drive whilst under the influence of drink or drugs. Chambers had two breath tests, the highest measuring 188 micrograms per 100ml of breath - 5.4 times over the legal limit of 35 micrograms. But she walked free from Northampton Magistrates Court last Friday after JPs heard she turned to alcohol after losing her job four years ago. She was banned from driving for three years and given a 12-month probation supervision order with alcohol treatment.



Neil Clark, defending, told the court: "Miss Chambers' problems started when she lost her job four years ago. She has not been able to work since and turned to alcohol when she became depressed." Chambers was stopped in the St James area of Northampton on Friday, April 13 and given a roadside breath test. Her breathalyser result beats the previous record for a female drink driver set by Claire Louise Garrett in July 2010.

Garrett, from Hebburn, South Tyneside, gave a sample containing 179mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath after she was stopped by police for driving on the wrong side of the road. She pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and received a three-year ban. Speaking after, she said: "I will regret it for the rest of my life. It was just a stupid mistake. I will never be able to forgive myself for it. I was in a bad place. I was in hospital afterwards so that's how bad it was."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope she learns from this and gets a chance to sort herself out, for the sake of her kids.

Anonymous said...

The courts screw up yet again.

That she claims to have been alcohol dependent for four years suggests that her being this drunk has been a fairly regular occurrence. In other words her claim that "it was just a stupid mistake" holds little water - how often has she got away with it in the past? It's only a matter of luck that the police saw her on this occasion.

Now I'm not saying a custodial sentence is the best solution. However one thing that does need addressing is her care of her family. The needs of children should come first and I'm not sure a probation supervision order goes far enough. The child needs a lot more support than the mother and social services need to be a regular feature in this woman's life until she is demonstrably firmly back on the rails. Remember this woman thought buying alcohol was more important than the safety of a young child and yet as far as the courts are concerned it seems that twelve months of visits to a probabtion worker are all that it will take to keep that child safe.

I've lost my job and I've been unable to find regular work for some time, however I haven't turned to alcohol. One reason being that I can't afford it. What money I have goes on my family, not being self indulgent. Hell she's lucky she can even afford to run a car.

Anonymous said...

The person that said it was just a mistake was a different person than the new drunk driving female record holder. Two women have been written about.

I too have been let loose from a job at a really inopportune time (7 months pregnant). I haven't really been able to work since and that then unborn child is now a 3 year old. I had a 3 month temp job that never called me back after I took a trip to Sweden (in-laws paid *AND* the company had sent me home for a few weeks), then two days at a warehouse, and another two days doing inventory. That is it. For a 3 1/2 year span. This is after applying to my required number of jobs per week for UI which I've run out and now have ZERO income. I do admit to drinking. One glass of wine or a beer to sleep at night. I can't afford a doctor for to get a prescription for Ativan or something.


Anyway, how is she taking care of her kid if she's always so drunk?

Anonymous said...

What a pathetic excuse for a mother? poor kid she left a home... sounds like she got her priorities straight - leaving him alone and going out for MORE booze!! here here whoever said how can she afford to run a home? a car? and buy booze? I tell you how - probably taxpayers money!! typical Jeremy Kyle case thats all i can say!!!!!