Drink-driving pharmacy assistant, 57, who crashed her car while trying to reverse out of a parking space as she drove home following 1am row with her boyfriend is banned from the road

A pharmacy assistant who drunkenly crashed her car into another vehicle following a 1am row with her boyfriend has been banned from driving. 

Karen Moore, 57, smashed into a stationary car while struggling to reverse out a parking space outside her partner’s house before dumping her VW to make the 1.5 mile journey home on foot.  

Police were called after Moore was found crying uncontrollably on the street with her pet dog. 

She tested almost three times the alcohol limit and was unable to provide any further samples due to her drunken state. 

Moore, from Rock Ferry, Merseyside, claimed she has been offered drinks by her partner when she went to his home to collect some furniture – but ended up storming off drunk after they had a fight. 

Karen Moore, 57, (pictured) has been banned from driving and landed with a £1,000 legal bill after she drunkenly crashed her car into another vehicle following a 1am row with her boyfriend

Moore smashed into a stationary car while struggling to exit a parking space before dumping her VW to make the 1.5 mile journey home on foot

At Wirral magistrates court she admitted failing to provide a breath sample, before being disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £467 with £587 in costs and surcharges. 

The crash happened at 1.25am on March 12 after Moore was seen fumbling around her car and hitting the vehicle in front while outside her boyfriend’s home in Tranmere. 

Paula Grogan, prosecuting, said: ‘Police were directed to investigate a report of a minor road traffic collision in Tranmere involving a Volkswagen motor vehicle which had collided with a parked car.

‘The report was of a female driver who appeared to be drunk. She had left the car, and left the scene on foot in the company of a dog.

‘The officer got to the location and saw a lady who fit the description of the suspect walking along Church Road nearby with a dog. The officer described her as somewhat unsteady on her feet, stumbling, visibly upset and distressed.

‘The officer spoke with the lady who said she had parked her car outside her boyfriend’s house. She tried to reverse it. When she realised that she could not, she drove back into the parking space and decided to leave the car there and walk home.

Moore tested almost three times the alcohol limit and was unable to provide any further samples due to her drunken state

‘A roadside breath test was administered. She succeeded in producing a sample at the second attempt and was placed under arrest and taken to the Wirral custody suite. She was then taken through the drink drive procedure with the officer who explained to her the procedure and what was required of her.. She blew into it a number of times but she was clearly very intoxicated.’

He added: ‘Although she does blow every time she is asked to, she stops after a few seconds and it is not enough to obtain a sample.

‘She was given a number of opportunities and the officer also demonstrated to her physically what was required. But she could not carry out the instructions and the machine timed out.

‘She pleads guilty on the basis that whilst she genuinely did try to provide a sample, she was too intoxicated to follow instructions.’

The initial breath test Moore failed showed she had 97micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35mg. 

In mitigation defence solicitor Quentin Neal said: ‘My client is of good character. She has been working for a pharmacy for 37 years, describes herself as a pharmacist’s assistant and is involved with dispensing medication.

Moore claimed she has been offered drinks by her partner when she went to his home to collect some furniture – but ended up storming off drunk after they had a fight

‘She is the person in the back making up the prescriptions and ‘I have references from her employer, extolling her virtues.

‘She is a woman with no criminal attitudes whatsoever. On this particular night she was at her boyfriend’s home trying to negotiate the return of furniture. It appeared that things were at first conciliatory, she had been offered a drink, things were going well – but then things turned bad and she left.

‘She went back to her car, got into the car, and thought about driving and there was a very minor issue with the car in front, when she was trying to get out of the parking space.’ 

He added: ‘At that point she realised ‘I should not be driving’ and got out – but that is when police arrived at the scene.

‘It was clear that she was very intoxicated and quite emotional. In her medical information, there is evidence of anxiety and depression and other similar issues.’