Wigan drink driver who waited for two hours for police to turn up and breathalyse her after crash is banned from the road

A Wigan mental health support worker who drunkenly crashed her car and waited more than two hours for police to turn up and breathalyse her, has been banned from driving.
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates CourtWigan and Leigh Magistrates Court
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court

Vicky Grice, of Hazel Grove, Golborne, appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

The court heard that on April 29, the 38-year-old crashed her car on Slag Lane having gone out in it following a row with her husband.

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Prosecuting, Tess Kenyon, said: “There was a road traffic collision at 12.10am.

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates CourtWigan and Leigh Magistrates Court
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court

“Police were notified of a collision but because of other incidents they couldn’t send an officer until 2.30am.

“By the time officers arrived, the defendant’s partner was present.

“She had been waiting there with a member of the public because the police hadn’t attended.

“He went to the scene and his wife had gone home.”

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Magistrates heard that it would be another hour until police turned up at the Grice family home, at which point they conducted a breathalyser test.

The defendant was found to have 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath: over the legal limit of 35mcg.

“She accepted she had alcohol,” added Ms Kenyon.

“She said she had been drinking whisky and she confirmed that she hadn’t drunk anything since she got home.

“When she was interviewed she told police that she and her husband had a drink at home.

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“They had an argument and she decided to leave the address in her car.

“She said she was only a few minutes away from home when she lost control on a bend and clipped the kerb.”

Defending, Martin Jones told magistrates that his client was “very, very worried” about what losing her licence could mean for her career.

“None of us know why it took police nearly three hours to arrive at the scene,” he said.

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“I have to stress that my client made no attempt to evade the consequences of her actions.

“She stayed there from 12.10am.

“She was there until about 15 minutes before the car was collected by a recovery vehicle.

“During that time her husband took her home, returned to the scene and he awaited the police.

“It took them some time to get there.

“She told them that she had been drinking and secondly that she hadn’t consumed any since she returned home.

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“To her credit she did everything she could to make sure things were dealt with.”

Due to Grice’s prompt guilty plea and her previously clean record, she was given a 12-month driving ban, which can be reduced by 12 weeks if she takes part in a drink-driving awareness course.

She was also ordered to pay total costs of £235, which includes a £120 fine.