A Swedish woman fled the scene after drunkenly crashing her car in a hit and run road smash whilst she was on her way to confront her unfaithful lover over a secret affair, a court heard.
Caroline Martinsson, 33, lost control of her Vauxhall Astra and ploughed into a wall whilst driving to demand an explanation from her partner over claims she was being cheated on.
During the incident, Martinsson, a car firm worker living in Northwich, Cheshire, caused ‘significant’ damage to the wall but she drove off and eventually dumped the vehicle in a nearby street.
Police called to the scene found her stood in a field with tests showing she was one and a half times the alcohol limit.
At Chester magistrates court Martinsson pleaded guilty to drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. She was fined £769 with £393 in costs and a victim surcharge and was banned from driving for 16 months.
The incident occurred in February after Martinsson was told about the infidelilty claims whilst on a sleepover at a friend’s house.
She was said to have became ’emotional’ and ‘flustered’ and jumped into her car to confront her partner about the claims.
Miss Val Tonkinson, prosecuting, said: ‘At approximately 9.15pm the defendant was driving a grey Vauxhall Astra, which crashed into a front garden at an address in Northwich causing significant damage to the property.
Caroline Martinsson, pictured, fled the scene after drunkenly crashing her car in a hit and run road smash whilst she was on her way to confront her unfaithful lover
At Chester magistrates court Martinsson pleaded guilty to drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident
Martinsson, a car firm worker living in Northwich, Cheshire, caused ‘significant’ damage to a wall but drove off and eventually dumped the vehicle in a nearby street
The 33-year-old was fined £769 with £393 in costs and a victim surcharge and was banned from driving for 16 months
‘The defendant then made off from the scene of the collision in the direction of Northwich. A Constable Booth located the vehicle on Ollershaw Lane and he saw the damage to the front of the vehicle.
‘The defendant was standing a short distance away in a field nearby and when the officers spoke to her she confirmed that it was her vehicle and also that she was the one who had driven it. The keys to the vehicle were found on her person as well. At the scene officers searched the vehicle and an open bottle of vodka was in the rear of the vehicle.’
Tests showed Martinsson who has a Swedish driving licence had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35mg. She gave no comment in police interview.
Her lawyer Chris Hunt said in mitigation: ‘She had gone to her friend’s house and had a couple of drinks,. She anticipated staying overnight and had no intention to drive.
‘However, while at her friend’s house, some highly emotional situation came about involving infidelity on the part of her partner.
‘She was so flustered about what she discovered she went to go and confront her partner over it. She reacted without the thought of alcohol. She thought she was ok to drive. That soon became apparent that was incorrect.
‘Another vehicle drove close to her, she panicked and swerved and hit the wall. Lots of people came out and opened the doors. She was very scared. It was late at night and she drove around the corner as she was frightened. When police spoke to her she was fully cooperative, she has not prevaricated. She has never been before the courts before.
‘She is a working woman and a positive influence in the community. She is not a criminal. She works in the motoring trade and has held a clean driving licence for 14 years. It was clearly a mistake on her part. She was cooperative with police at the scene. She pleaded guilty at the first occasion. There is the loss of her good character. She has no previous convictions, she is genuinely remorseful.’
Martinsson was given the option of taking a drink drive rehabilitation course, which if completed will reduce the ban by a quarter.
