By Cristina Hodgson • Published: 16 Dec 2019 • 7:01
Motorcyclist was under the influence. Credit: Shutterstock
SARAH SEARLE, 45, had drunk ‘three or four gin and tonics’ at a party she was hosting at her home on a farm, when her disabled brother Andrew West was knifed.
Taking matters into her own hands, fearing that an ambulance would take too long, especially in finding her remote Hampshire home, Ms Searle opted to take her brother to the hospital herself, even though she had consumed a high amount of alcohol.
However, having driven 10 miles, Ms Searle was stopped by police on the A27 outside Portsmouth, just five minutes from the city’s Queen Alexandra Hospital. It’s reported that the police found Mr Searle “unsteady on her feet”
When tested, she was found to 164 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. The limit is 107.
As Euro Weekly News understands, Ms Searle was at the time given a 12 month ban for drink driving and fined £184 with a £30 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.
However, during an appeal hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court, a judge ruled that the ban should be overturned because Ms Searle was on a “mercy mission” as she thought her brother, who suffers from a brain injury, was ‘going to die’.
Giving evidence at court Mr West informed that he had been ‘stabbed in the back’ with a Stanley knife by Ms Searle’s then partner.
Ms Searle’s former partner was initially arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, the appeal hearing was told.
A Sussex police spokeswoman informed, according to the Daily Mail, that charges have not been brought against the man ‘due to lack of support from the victim and witnesses’. The case has now been passed back to the investigating officer.
Judge William Ashworth and magistrates found ‘special reasons’ not to impose the driving ban on Ms Searle.
Ms Searle’s 12-month driving ban was removed and replaced with six points on her licence.
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