Ipswich: Primary school teacher banned from the road after being caught drink driving
IPSWICH: A primary school teacher is today banned from driving after she was more than three times the drink-drive limit when her car was involved in a collision on the day her divorce was finalised.
Susan Williams, of Bloomfield Street, Ipswich, was given a two-year ban by magistrates after admitting driving with excess alcohol. South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court heard the 48-year-old could not understand why she had consumed so much alcohol before going to pick up her children.
Her solicitor Russell Haldane said: “She is quite simply unable to fathom the thought process.” The accident which led to Williams’ arrest occurred at about 7pm on December 16 in Heath Road, Ipswich.
Prosecutor Colette Griffiths said police were contacted by the other driver who smelled alcohol coming from Williams after the collision. She had refused to supply the man with details of her insurance.
When police spoke to Williams she admitted having had one glass of wine.
However, a subsequent breath test showed she had 107 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.
Mr Haldane told the court Williams was undergoing personal problems at the time.
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He said she was a teacher for children with special needs and had three children of her own. However, her marriage had fallen apart, and at one stage she faced having her house in south London repossessed.
On October 6 she had been the victim of an unprovoked street attack. She subsequently moved to Ipswich in November. Despite this her children had remained with their father.
Mr Haldane said Williams’ decree absolute came through on the day she was drink-driving, which was also the birthday of one of her children. He said she was on her way to pick them up after they arrived from London.
The court was told that since her arrest Williams had sought help for alcoholism.
She must also pay �300 in fines and costs.
She was caught during The Evening Star’s name and shame campaign, which pledges to cover the court cases of drink-drivers’ who were arrested between December 1 and January 1.
n Has your life been affected by a drink-driver? E-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or write to Star Letters, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN.
