Harborough pensioner 'very remorseful and embarrassed' after causing a crash while being almost twice the drink-driving limit

Jane Southwell, 74, was drinking alcohol while out driving when she hit a car travelling towards her, a court heard.

Southwell was almost twice the drink-driving limit when the collision happened on Braybrooke Road, Harborough, in broad daylight.

Moments earlier a worried driver had watched her battle to stay on her side of the road, Leicester magistrates’ court was told.

Southwell then careered across into the oncoming lane and collided with the stunned motorist.

The accident triggered the airbags on the grandmother’s blue Dacia Duster while the man driving the other car suffered severe bruising and shock.

Southwell, of St Nicholas Close, Harborough, admitted drink-driving.

The crash happened at about 4pm on September 1 last year.

Police who raced to the scene after the alarm was raised spotted that Southwell’s eyes were glazed.

Blood tests showed she had 155 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

The legal limit is 80 milligrammes.

Ishtiaq Sarwar, defending, said Southwell was “very remorseful and embarrassed” by the incident.

Mr Sarwar said the OAP had a “little” to drink in her car but “she believed she was not above the legal limit”.

He said: “She is grateful no one was seriously injured.”

Mr Sarwar said Southwell was “feeling lonely and depressed” after recently stopping working.

The pensioner was banned from driving for 22 months, fined £166 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.