A FORMER teacher who was caught driving whilst four times over the limit has walked away from court with a suspended sentence and four-year driving ban.
Verity Frieze, of Wolsey Close, Worcester, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle when over the limit at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on Friday (February 12).
The 40-year-old had failed a roadside breath test on Saturday, January 23 at 11.20am after she was found to have 138 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath (35 microgrammes being the legal limit), court heard.
Jackie Rogers, prosecuting, said: “Police were contacted by a staff member from Lidl on Newtown Road who was concerned for a lady under the influence of alcohol.
“She was over four times the legal limit when she had driven from home to the Lidl store but had not drunk anything since parking there.”
Paul Stanley, defending, said: “She wasn’t seen driving the car but she admitted to police that she had.
“She is an ex-school teacher, she struggles with alcohol but doesn’t hide behind that fact.
“It is right and fair to say that she has been open and honest that she has a problem with alcohol after her teaching career.”
Chair of the Bench, Richard Weatherill sentenced Frieze to 16 weeks in custody suspended for 18 months.
He ordered her to complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month alcohol treatment requirement.
She was also disqualified from driving for 48 months and ordered to pay £135 court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
