Stamford drink-driver tells Boston Magistrates’ Court she got behind the wheel after receiving a phone call from her daughter ‘in trouble’

A drink-driver said she got behind the wheel after her daughter rang to say she was in trouble.

Sophie Lord was nearly twice the legal drink-drive limit after police stopped her Range Rover in Stamford on June 1.

Lord, 36, of Belton Gardens, Stamford, admitted driving over the legal limit during her hearing at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (October 29).

Prosecutor Nick Kirkland told the court that Lord was seen reversing out of a parking space in Stamford town centre at 12.45am by two police officers on patrol.

He said: “The vehicle was slow to move off so that raised the suspicions of the officers. On that basis they decided that they would follow the vehicle.”

Mr Kirkland said officers stopped the vehicle in Belton Gardens after seeing it make turns without indicating.

He said: “The defendant was said to be in the driving seat and was the sole occupant. Officers noted that she smelled of alcohol and appeared confused and dazed.”

She was arrested after failing a roadside breath test and later gave a reading of 65 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath during tests at the police station. The legal limit is 35micrograms.

Lord, who was representing herself, told the court that she had dropped off her daughter at a friend’s house but later received a phone call to say that she was in trouble.

The single mother said the hesitation as she pulled out of the space was down to speaking to her daughter.

Lord said: “I got in the car and drove as I was told she was in trouble.”

District judge Asif Munir told Lord that she could have placed herself and other road users in jeopardy.

“I think it is fair for me to say that you should have known better,” he said.

She was fined £162 and ordered to pay £85 court costs along with the £65 victim surcharge.

Lord was disqualified from driving for 36 months.