A prison worker who drove off after smashing into a van when she was nearly six times over the limit was banned from driving for three years on Wednesday.
Jennifer Wilson, 55, quit her job with the Scottish Prison Service as a court heard it was the second time she had been found drunk at the wheel.
She was also fined £1,600 after admitting being caught on another motorist’s dashcam as she fled the scene in a courtesy car.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that Wilson had developed an alcohol problem as a result of difficulties in her marriage and the pressure of her job.
She refused to answer family’s questions about damage to car
Fiscal depute Lisa Marshall told the court the van owner’s neighbours told him that his vehicle was damaged and a number plate was lying beside it.
“Fortunately he had dashcam footage so he was able to view the images and saw it was the accused who had driven into his van,” Mrs Marshall said.
“The accused had left her home without telling her family. She was seen to have a cut to her chin and she was drunk. Her vehicle – a courtesy car – had moderate front end damage.
“She refused to answer her family’s questions about the damage.”
Police arrived to speak to her about five hours after the crash.
Wilson identified herself as the driver and failed a roadside breath test. She claimed she had drunk wine and cider after arriving home.
Wilson, of Caldhane Gardens, Brechin, admitted drink driving in Strathmore Avenue, Alyth, on September 25. Her reading was 124 mics, compared to the 22 mics limit.
Court hears she was under pressure in prison job
Solicitor Gary Fowlis, defending, said: “She was in full-time employment, working in the justice system. She was employed by the Scottish Prison Service for 15 years and resigned from her post as a result of this.
“There was a lot of pressure in the post she was in. She feels a weight has been lifted since she resigned and that it was the right thing to do.
“She has had significant difficulties for a number of years in her relationship. She has been married 25 years but that relationship has been failing for some considerable time.
“By her own admission she sought solace in alcohol. It has been a problem for some time. She accepts she got in the vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
“She has lost her job as a result of this. She is away from her estranged partner and has no intention of returning to the family home.”
Sheriff William Wood was told that Wilson had a previous conviction for drink driving and had been banned from the road for a year in 2012.
He said: “I am concerned that you should take to the road when you should have known you were significantly under the influence at the time.”
It is understood Wilson had worked at Castle Huntly prison, near Dundee.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “We do not comment on individuals.”
