Charity worker banned from the roads for drink-driving with toddler in car

A CHARITY worker was caught drink-driving while her six-month-old son was in the car, a court heard.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance fundraiser Lisa Blezard was arrested on Leeds Road in Castleford in West Yorkshire on January 22, Wakefield Magistrates’ Court was told.

Blezard, 32, of Cambridge Street, Normanton, Wakefield, was fined £500 and banned from driving for 17 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

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Prosecutor Karen Medley said that police found the Blezard in a Nissan Juke after they had received a call from an Asda security officer. She was stopped and arrested.

The court was told she had drunk three glasses of wine. At 11.30pm her son woke up because of teething troubles and did not settle.

Blezard then decided to drop her friend home and go to Asda to buy something to aid her the baby’s teething, believing the drive would also soothe him.

After police were called Blezard, who is on maternity leave, was found to have had 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35.

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Defence solicitor Toni McCann said Blezard did not believe that night she was affected by the alcohol. Blezard, a single mother, is now at risk of losing her job.

Miss McCann said: “She works as a fundraiser for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, currently on maternity leave. She is now a new mother and wants to provide for him.”

District Judge Adrian Lower gave Blezard credit for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

He said: “Quite apart from putting yourself at risk, as well as other road users, you put your child and friend at risk as well.”

He told her that there is “no safe amount of alcohol to drink before driving”.

As well as the ban and £500 fine, the judge ordered Blezard to pay a £50 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.