A woman who drove dangerously while travelling on the M5 when she was intoxicated with alcohol and drugs has been jailed.
Kayleigh MacDonald tried to overtake in a gap between the offside lane of the motorway and the central reservation and also tailgated other vehicles, the court was told.
Prosecutor Charlotte Evans told Gloucester Crown Court yesterday (Feb 9) that on Sunday, June 2, 2021 MacDonald, 31, was travelling back home to The Greenings, Up Hatherley, Cheltenham after a party in Devon the night before.
She was spotted driving dangerously on the M5 in Gloucestershire by concerned motorists who called the police.
READ MORE: Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick resigns from scandal-hit role
“The first call to the emergency services was made at 11.30am and the caller stated that a Renault Clio was tailgating vehicles on lane three of the motorway, while travelling in excess of the speed limit when traffic permitted,” said Ms Evans.
“The caller stated that when the driver couldn’t overtake vehicles in lane three she would attempt to undertake vehicles by using lane two. If she couldn’t do this she would try squeeze through the gap on the outside, between lane three and the central reservation.
“A second concerned motorist called the police at 11.45am and stated that MacDonald was weaving in and out of the traffic. When the motorway was at a standstill, MacDonald was seen reversing backwards and droving around the near stationary traffic.
“A third concerned motorist called the police from the A46 some 10 minutes later and again was tailgating the vehicles in front of her and intimidated other road users by flashing her lights and swerving.
“One motorist facing MacDonald’s wrath felt the need to pull over to let MacDonald pass and was seen to have a near miss with another car.
“At midday the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue service reported to the police that they were attending an incident in which the road had been blocked with MacDonald colliding head-on into a BMW Mini."
The incident was captured by the cameras onboard a bus and played to the court.
It showed that the Renault Clio had overtaken two vehicles and had crossed the centre of Shurdington Road and had passed the wrong side of a bollard, when it collided with the Mini, which was stationary as it was waiting for the traffic to clear so it could turn right into a pub car park.
The court was told that MacDonald was arrested by police and was found to be intoxicated for both drink and drugs. She was taken into custody where further tests were undertaken and she was found to have 208milligrammes of alcohol in100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80mgs – over two-and-a-half times over the legal limit to drive.
MacDonald also had an amount of Benzoylecgonine - a cocaine metabolite - in her blood.
The Judge, Recorder Richard Mawhinney, interjected: “This was aggressive driving while intoxicated for both drink and drugs. MacDonald drove on the wrong side of the road at the point of collision and lost control. It is only luck that no serious injuries were caused by her dangerous driving.”
Steven Young defending said that MacDonald was very ashamed of her actions of that day.
“She has no dispute over what happened, but I believe that any custodial sentence could be suspended.
“MacDonald was suffering from depression prior to the incident and was on medication for her mental health and panic attacks. She was off sick from work.
“However she stopped taking her medication and turned to alcohol because she could not afford her prescriptions.
“MacDonald was then invited to attend a friend’s party in Devon on June 26, which in hindsight she shouldn’t have gone to. She drove to Devon on the Saturday and consumed both drugs and alcohol at the party.
“MacDonald stayed the night and returned home the following morning. She wasn’t thinking logically and hadn’t taken any medication.
“She saw her home as a safe place and wanted to get back as soon as possible. She was spotted driving dangerously the closer she got to her home.
“It shows how stupid she has been. MacDonald has little memory of the incident.”
Recorder Mawhinney observed: “That’s a very long journey of about three hours. She shouldn’t have driven while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
Mr Young added: “MacDonald says that she tailgated other vehicles to get home more quickly. Fortunately the accident didn’t result in serious injury to anybody else.
“MacDonald has not driven since that day and has not drunk alcohol this year. Her mindset is such that she has turned a corner in her life and being sent to prison would set her progress in this back. "
MacDonald admitted charges of dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol and drugs in her blood on June 27 last year.
Recorder Mawhinney told MacDonald: “You drove dangerously for at least half an hour and you engaged in course of driving that was aggressive. You even tried to overtake in a gap between the offside lane of the motorway and the central reservation.
“You were tailgating and swerving from side to side. You then drove along the A46 where you were in collision with a Mini, having overtaken two cars in front of you and driving the wrong side of a bollard.
“I understand that you were stressed at the time, but this is no excuse. I accept that you are remorseful and have made changes to your life including gaining employment.
"However only a custodial sentence can be justified and this will be for four months as this type of driving represents a danger to the public. "
MacDonald was also fined £200 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge. She was banned from driving for two years, which begins on the day of release from prison. Her driving licence was endorsed and she was told she will have to take an extended retest before she can legally drive again.
Want our best stories with fewer ads and alerts when the biggest news stories drop? Download our app on iPhone or Android
