A FORMER police officer whose career was ended abruptly after she consumed alcohol at work has admitted drink driving.

Laura Bailey, 30, was arrested on August 13 last year after her car collided with two shops in Keswick town centre, prompting calls to the police from concerned members of the public.

Prosecutor Scott Parker told Carlisle’s Rickergate court that defendant was driving a Suzuki Swift car. It collided first with the Red Gecko gift shop in Lake Road, damaging a wooden panel.

Her car then caused damage to the Love the Lakes shop in St John’s Street.

A short time later, police found the defendant standing next to her car, which had front offside damage. “She was identified as the driver and officers requested a roadside sample of breath,” said Mr Parker.

This indicated that Bailey was over the limit for alcohol.

At later evidential test at the police station confirmed that the defendant had 68mcg of alcohol in every 100mls of breath. The legal limit for driving is 35mcg.

Defence barrister Oliver Saddington said Bailey, a woman of previous good character, had spent her working life in public service, having worked until recently with Merseyside Police.

She was a police constable for five years. Bailey had worked in courts as a police witness, and also been to court as a victim of police assault.

But in the summer of last year, her relationship had broken down, and this led to disagreements about issues such as bills and the custody of pets. She was also playing football for a women’s team in Liverpool,” said the barrister.

Far from being an escape from the pressures of what was going on, some of the people involved indulged in gossip about her and her former partner.

This prompted the defendant to “take comfort” in in drinking more than she usually did, continued Mr Saddington. Her career ended in December last year when she was found to have consumed alcohol at work.

“Merseyside Police dismissed her summarily,” said the barrister.

This has already caused the defendant a great deal of humiliation and left her embarrassed and feeling genuinely remorseful. The drink driving prosecution represented the conclusion of Bailey’s fall from grace.

The defendant had already made “valiant efforts,” said Mr Saddington, “to find alternative work, though she was presently claiming benefits.

Drink was no longer an issue and she had a new partner.

The barrister added: “Mentally, she is in a much better place. She’s unlikely to trouble the courts again.”

District Judge John Temperley fined the defendant £150 and imposed an 18-month ban. He told the defendant that she can if she wishes take the drink driver rehabilitation course, which will reduce the length of the ban by 18 weeks if it is completed within an agreed deadline.

The District Judge accepted the defendant, of Turriff Road, Liverpool, had shown genuine remorse and that there were mitigating factors, not least the lost of her work.