A mother of five swore at police officers after being pulled over for running a red light while over the drink-drive limit, a court has heard. Stella Deakin, 49, was stopped in a Citroen Berlingo in Coopers Bank Road, Lower Gornal, in the early hours of August 13, after officers observed her driving at speed.
Abusive behaviour during traffic stop
Jolene Parnell, prosecuting, told Dudley Magistrates' Court that at around 1am, officers saw the Citroen Berlingo 'driving at speed' and also driving through a red light, prompting them to activate blue lights and bring the vehicle to a stop.
When an officer approached Deakin, who was driving, and asked if she had consumed alcohol, she replied 'yes'. Ms Parnell said there were passengers in the back, and Deakin, who 'smelt of alcohol', became verbally abusive to officers, telling one to 'shut your f*****g mouth'.
Arrest and breath test results
Deakin was taken to Oldbury Custody Suite, where she continued to be verbally abusive to officers, according to Ms Parnell. At the station, she was found to have 68 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – nearly double the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Deakin, of Spencer Avenue, Coseley, pleaded guilty to driving while above the legal alcohol limit during the hearing on October 1.
Defence and sentencing
Mr Hiatt, defending, said Deakin, who has five children, had been at a barbecue that night. He said: "She accepts she consumed some alcohol but felt alright to drive. She normally only drinks on special occasions. She apologises for her actions."
The court fined Deakin £120 and ordered her to pay a victim surcharge of £48 and £85 in court costs. She was also disqualified from driving for 40 months, but was given the option of completing a course that would reduce the ban by 40 weeks if finished by a set date.
