Following two incidents in Manchester where they crashed into cars and drove with their headlights off, the young ladies have been expelled from driving.
After being found to have drunk almost double the legal limit, Olivia Stuart-Cole (25-year-old receptionist) and Chloe Horsfall (23) were both taken into custody on the same date last month.
Manchester Magistrates Court found that they had been at parties together and had misjudged the amount of alcohol or wine they were drinking.
Ms Stuart Cole lost control of her Mini Cooper as she was driving to the shops to return to Sale, Altrincham, Greater Manchester.
Police asked her to clarify that she didn’t know how much alcohol she had drank.
After having drunk two or three glasses of wine, Ms. Horsfall was pulled over near her home in Newhey, near Rochdale, by a patrol of police officers who spotted her driving her VW Polo around 2.30am without headlights.
Olivia Stuart Cole, 25, receptionist and Chloe Horsfall, 23, council assistant were both arrested last month. Each of them had consumed more than twice the legal limit.
According to tests, Ms. Stuart Cole had 66mg of alcohol per 100ml. Ms. Horsfall had 61mg. The legal limit for alcohol consumption is 35mg
These women were present at Manchester Magistrates Court to be sentenced.
Ms. Stuart Cole was barred from driving for 18-months, and Ms. Horsfall disqualified for 17-months.
Ms Stuart-Cole, who was also fined £346 plus £119 in costs, told the court: ‘I sometimes drink one glass of wine per night. Ms. Stuart-Cole was also fined PS346 and costs of the court. She said that she doesn’t often go out, but only drinks alcohol with her tea.
Ms Horsfall, who was also fined £290, with £119 costs said: ‘I go out most weekends with my friends but I just go out social drinking. I don’t drink during the week.
These cases follow a Cambridge University study that revealed 50% of drivers can’t tell when they are over the limit.
Court heard that the arrests were made within 18 hours each other on November 6.
Miss Eileen Rogers was the Prosecutor. She stated that at 2.30am, police noticed Miss Horsfall’s vehicle without front lights.
The officers followed the vehicle and pulled it over. After identifying herself, the police were able confirm that she was insured and a registered keeper.
“They could still see that her eyes were closed and they confirmed she was drinking.
The officer was shocked to learn that she had consumed two pints each of dark fruit cider. Bury Police Station was called and she recorded 61mg per 100 millilitres. She is free from any previous convictions.
She also stated that Ms. Stuart-Cole had been driving her car along Derbyshire Road West around 10.10 pm when she encountered a traffic accident.
“The roadway was closed as a result. Police received reports that the suspect may have been drunk.
The car had been facing the wrong direction, and damage to her front car and another parked vehicle was evident. The woman admitted that she went to the shop but didn’t know what happened.
Ms Stuart-Cole (pictured) crashed her Mini Cooper while on her way to the shops ahead of returning to her family’s £430,000 pound home in Sale, near Altrincham, Greater Manchester
“She claimed she’d had alcohol just a few hours before, but she wasn’t sure how much.
“She was brought to the police station, where she was found at 66 micrograms. This woman is a former good person.
Stephen Lickrish (defense lawyer) stated: “The facts of the case are quite straightforward. Her last drink was at 7:15pm after she had gone to a birthday party for children earlier in the day.
“She thought she was safe and wanted to go to the local shop, but she clearly exceeded her legal limit. She was driving under the influence of alcohol when she got into an accident.
“She’s a receptionist for the minimum wage.” It is not possible to add anything else.
For Ms Horsfall, Mr Likrish said: “She went out to a friend’s house with two to three glasses wine and not two pints black fruit as she had told the officer.
“She was close to her home, believed she was okay and made the stupid decision to drive back. During that trip, she was stopped. This is the truth.
Stuart-Cole received the following sentence from JP David Chadwick: “You were in an accident while under the influence. This is the effect of drink. Horsfall was given a seat on a rehabilitation course for drink-driving.
Between 240 to 320 people died in crashes in Britain in 2019, where at least one driver exceeded the limit. This was the highest number since 2009.