A councillor caught drink-driving said she confused alcoholic wine with non-alcoholic wine.
Tory Denise Bigg, 53, sobbed in the dock as a court heard she was caught behind the wheel while nearly three times over the legal limit.
Magistrates in Rochdale were told that two witnesses saw her driving her Honda Jazz 'erratically' along Bury New Road in Whitefield, near Bury, on November 12.
At one point the car almost hit a central reservation near Hilton Lane.
The witness told police the car was travelling at 10mph and 'swerving from side to side'.
Swerving
A second witness then saw the car veer 'wildly' to the right then left before mounting a pavement and driving along it for 10 car lengths.
It eventually stopped near Barnes Street and Councillor Bigg, who represents the Elton ward on Bury Council, got out and was 'stumbling' as she walked in the direction of a McDonalds restaurant, the court heard.
Councillor Bigg was arrested and blood tests showed 202mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
Shazia Aslam, prosecuting, said Councillor Bigg told police in interviews that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the taste of alcoholic or alcohol-free wine. She bought the wine a couple of days before the incident.
Ms Aslam said: “During interview she admitted going to the Asda store in Radcliffe to buy what she thought was non-alcoholic wine.
“She said that she did not realise until she got home from the police station that it was alcoholic.”
Coun Bigg, of Claydon Drive, Radcliffe, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
She was fined £180 with £85 costs and banned from driving for 20 months.
Ian Baker, defending, said she was returning home from visiting a friend in hospital, who tragically died the following day.
He said Councillor Bigg was receiving counselling and was being treated with antidepressants following a marriage breakup.
Mr Baker said: “She feels sorry that she is in this situation. She feels sorry that she has let down her constituents and those who know her.
Non-alcoholic
“She purchased what she thought was non-alcoholic wine. She had something to drink and something to eat. She believed that she was drinking non-alcoholic wine.
“She was shocked to discover just how much over the drink-drive limit she was.”
Councillor Bigg left court without commenting.
Asked about her future on the council, Councillor Yvonne Cresswell, Deputy Council Leader, said: “It is down to Denise. It is her choice.”
Drink drive councillor thought wine was alcohol-free
January 26, 2010
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Tory Denise Bigg, 53, sobbed in the dock as a court heard she was caught behind the wheel while nearly three times over the legal limit.
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Laura Norder, Didsbury (26/01/2010 at 09:05)
(A tory, drowning her sorrows before an election - novel.)
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (26/01/2010 at 09:20)
PW, Manchester (26/01/2010 at 09:24)
Savage Mandarin, Manchester (26/01/2010 at 09:37)
gary connaughton (26/01/2010 at 09:39)
DarthGorb (26/01/2010 at 09:49)
Jay B, oldham (26/01/2010 at 09:55)
Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary (26/01/2010 at 10:00)
Anyone three times over the limit knows without doubt that they are pickled.
Those who set themselves up to rule over others must be squeaky - both in their law abidance and their approach to honesty. Off with her head - even though she's a Tory.
Orb, Rochdale (26/01/2010 at 10:03)
It's one thing to mistakenly buy alcohol free wine/beer if you're not paying too much attention (I've done it myself - yuk!), but it's very evident as soon as you taste it - and I'm pretty sure that you'd know about it when you started to get drunk, let alone 3 times the limit.
The irish scotsman, salford (26/01/2010 at 10:12)
tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (26/01/2010 at 10:12)
Black Flag (26/01/2010 at 10:16)
If you read the story, you only have to get as far as the second line to see her described as "Tory Denise Bigg."
MPs gravy train, UK (26/01/2010 at 10:23)
Sorry Mrs Tory Councillor...the sherry parties have caught up with you. Resign please.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (26/01/2010 at 10:23)
And Jay B, Oldham... what's wrong, no one to read the piece to you, today.
She's a Tory. (Does that answer you question?)
As an aside, I think Plod should stop more middle-aged women drivers as they seem to have a helluva lot of emotional baggage, and apparently often take to drink... (Ducks and runs for cover, pausing only to put on 'battle bowler'.)
hjk (26/01/2010 at 10:41)
Just Wondering?, North Manchester (26/01/2010 at 10:43)
Paulbwfc, Stalybridge (26/01/2010 at 11:40)
Ace Riley, outsidethebox (26/01/2010 at 11:43)
Rammylad (26/01/2010 at 11:43)
Mrs Jammy, Sitting on the settee (26/01/2010 at 12:21)
Surely even if she really was dim enough to think this she must have realised that she was starting to get drunk.
Pushkin (26/01/2010 at 12:24)
Throw the book at her! There's no excuse. After one glass you'd be able to tell if there was alcohol in it. ASDA only stock four types of alcohol-free wine from two brands anyway.
dessie, manchester (26/01/2010 at 12:32)
Not a Number, just down the road (26/01/2010 at 12:33)
One glass of anything alcohol free and you are running for the real stuff!
RT, UK (26/01/2010 at 13:40)
Many people 'hit' the bottle when at a low. What that does is take them lower.
Unfortunately those who have a problem with alcohol are at first in denial
and will vigorously refute any suggestion that they have a problem.
The fine reflects the circumstances (for once).
One Spit Doesn't Make A Summer (26/01/2010 at 14:01)
That's gotta be a first surely.