News from the Isle of Man of a 68-year-old Ramsey woman in court over a potential drink driving related offence. Let’s get up to speed with the preamble and then we can move onto the good bits:
Her grey Mitsubishi Colt was spotted heading along North Shore Road, Bowring Road, Station Road and on Shoprite car park at around 4.30pm. Its progress was described as ‘erratic’ and ‘all over the road’. When she tried to park, she ended up only half in a disabled space with the back end of her car sticking out. Inside the shop, she was visibly unsteady on her feet and her speech was slurred. Police found her sitting in the driver’s seat of her car.
It’s not looking good for Anna Fratanu (for it are she wot was in charge of the vehicle) thus far. But she said that she hadn’t been drinking, so what on earth could have been causing her erratic driving then?
- She blamed a fault with her car’s clutch which meant stopping and starting was difficult.
- She was taking medication for vertigo.
- She was not wearing her glasses, and
- She said her driving was no different from usual.
The coppers were having none of it though, and asked for a breath test.
But ‘soz, no can do’ says Anna, because:
- She had no time to spare as she was preparing a picnic, and
- She claimed the recent Botox treatment meant she could not purse her lips.
Sadly for Anna, Magistrates’ chairman Julian Ashcroft was unimpressed by her numerous sob stories. He fined her £1000 and ordered her to pay £300 costs. She was also banned from driving for five years and must pass an extended driving test at the end of the ban. She must also attend a drink drivers’ alcohol rehabilitation course before being allowed to drive again.