A drunk mum crashed into a Tesco store causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage.
The court heard that when Emma Poingdestre got out of the car, she was beaten by a woman pushing a pram.
Poingdestre was almost three times over the limit when she got behind the wheel and went shopping.
According to the Mirror, the judge told her the death was not caused by “luck and not judgment”.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that police received reports of a Kia vehicle crashing into the front of Tesco Express on Sefton Road, Litherland, shortly after 8.30pm on August 24 last year.
Police arrived at the scene and found the motorist, Poingdestre, “slurring words, unsteady and smelling strongly of intoxicants.”
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, described how the 55-year-old, of Moss Lane, Litherland, failed a breath test and was arrested.
In custody, she was found to have at least 102 micrograms of alcohol in her body per 100 ml of breath – the legal limit is 35 mg.
CCTV footage, which was played to the court, showed Poingdestre pulling into a parking space before suddenly accelerating into the shop front, causing £26,340 worth of damage.
She was then seen driving a short distance down the pavement outside the premises before exiting the vehicle, at which stage an unknown woman was seen pushing her to the floor and then punching and kicking her on the ground.
The court heard “evidence that she was pushing the pram and the car almost crashed into her”, although this was not seen on the video.
Poingdestre has no previous convictions.
Andrew Sinker, defending, told the court his client had previously worked as an NHS dietitian and for Barnardo’s, as well as helping his son run a pub in the New Forest, before moving to Liverpool shortly before the lockdown. He added: “There is an indication that she almost collided with a pram.
“That’s not visible in the footage and any evidence is clearly hearsay.” On the day in question, she went a short distance to Tesco to buy groceries. She was driving her son’s car, an electric car that she didn’t drive often. It effectively puts your foot on the gas and not the brake.
“It’s a very short drive. The dangerous driving really happened in just a few seconds. She is ashamed of herself and sorry. She led an industrious life and was a respected member of society.
“After the abusive relationship ended, she turned to alcohol. This clearly led to these crimes. She took steps to address this problem and abstained for a period of time. She tells me she hasn’t had a drink in the last three weeks.
“It is an isolated crime. In my view there is very little risk of re-conviction.’
Poingdestre admitted dangerous driving and drink driving. She was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days, as well as a three-year road ban.
Sentencing Recorder Peter Cowan said: “You made an extraordinary decision to drive when you were three times over the legal limit which had the foreseeable consequence of crashing into the front of Tesco Express causing £26,000 of damage and no doubt horrifying members. employees and the public by the force of this impact. Make no mistake if you killed someone you would go to prison for many years.
“It was luck and not judgment that avoided this outcome. It is obvious that you are an alcoholic. You have taken steps to resolve this issue. You’re going in the right direction.”
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