In the UK, a wealthy socialite who was caught drunk driving was given a 15-month ban by the court but she pleads that using public transport would have a “massive impact” on her life.
Kay Holcroft, 24, a fashion account manager, was stopped by police and a breathalyzer test found her to be 21 points over the alcohol limit when she got behind the wheel.
Kay posted photos of herself drinking in Didsbury cocktail bar on her Instagram and captioned it with “hello weekend – it’s been a while”.
After that, she boarded a train from Manchester to Cheshire and then started driving her white BMW 1 Series 116D to her million-dollar home she shares with her parents in the affluent Prestbury village, near Alderley Edge.
According to reports, when the cops notice that her car was swerving on the roads, she was pulled over outside the Ye Olde Admiral Rodney pub for a breath test.
When officers stopped her a breath test showed she was 21 points over the alcohol limit, with 56 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath – much more than the legal limit of 35 micrograms. The legal limit is 35mg.
On the court, she was disqualified from driving for 15 months after she admitted to driving with excess alcohol.
Appearing at Stockport Judges, she said the ban would have a “massive impact” on her life, as she would have to take public transport to work.
Kay, whose millionaire parents run a company supplying equipment for forklift trucks, was also fined $270 and ordered to pay $160 in costs and surcharges.
“Police were on patrol in the Prestbury area and when just after midnight they saw the defendant’s BMW swerving and being driven in an erratic manner,” Prosecutor Gareth Hughes told the hearing.
“She said she had visited a public house in Manchester and as the officers approached, they could smell alcohol on her breath, her eyes were also bloodshot and glazed,” he added. “She confirmed she had been drinking with a friend an hour beforehand in Manchester. She undertook a breathalyzer test.”
Defense solicitor Sam Fixter said: that the “defendant has no previous convictions or cautions, and she has a clean driving record.”
“She thought because of the lapse of time while traveling on the train, that there had been enough time for the alcohol to dissipate and therefore be able to drive home,” Fixter said. “Unfortunately, this was not the case, and she was over the limit.”
“She is extremely remorseful,” he added. “She works in Cheetham Hill, Manchester as an Account Assistant and this case will have a massive impact on her as she will now have to use various public transport links to get to work.”
Meanwhile, JP Mayor Shah told Kay: “We have taken into consideration the work you do, but if you have had a drink, you should get a taxi.”
“You do not know what your body can take,” Shah added. “Go out and have a drink but book a taxi next time. A taxi would have been much cheaper than losing your license for 15 months. I hope you have got that message.”