Nurse downed wine before colliding with pedestrian in Selston

A frontline nurse was battling depression when she downed wine before hitting a pedestrian in Selston, a court has been told.
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Joanne Davenport was pulling out from the Co-op car park, on Nottingham Road, in her black Ford Fiesta when a woman stepped out in front of her, said prosecutor Becky Allsop.

"Mrs Davenport was out of the vehicle immediately and attended to the lady," she said.

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She covered the woman with a blanket and the pedestrian was thankfully not injured, the court was told.

The Co-op on Nottingham Road, Selston.The Co-op on Nottingham Road, Selston.
The Co-op on Nottingham Road, Selston.

But police officers smelled alcohol on her and saw she was unsteady on her feet following the incident, which happened on the afternoon of May 12.

Two small bottles of wine were found on the passenger seat.

When she was interviewed by police, she told them she drank wine with a friend after work and consumed more of it in a layby.

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A test revealed she had 81 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Donna Pursglove, mitigating, said: "She would like to express her remorse and complete devastation at finding herself before the court today.”

She said Davenport had been working on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic and her workload had been ‘quite significant’.

Davenport has been suffering with ‘quite deep depression’ for 18 months and had just received criticism at a performance review, magistrates were told.

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"She has quite a substantial amount to lose," said Ms Pursglove. "She is currently suspended from work as a result of this incident. It is likely she will lose her house.

"That in itself is going to be a significant punishment.

"She tells me she is not normally a big drinker at all. She can't explain why she decided to drink alcohol that day."

Davenport, 51, of Stranfaer Close, Swanwick, admitted drink driving when she appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

She was fined £438 with a £44 surcharge and £85 court costs.

She was banned for 18 months, but a rehabilitation course for drink drivers will reduce the disqualification by 137 days if she completes it by May 2022.