A Gravelly Beach woman drove her BMW at 164 kmh an hour while more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit, the Launceston Magistrates court heard.
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Jennie Patricia Somerville, 48, pleaded guilty to a drive while exceeding alcohol limit and exceed speed in a speed limited area on good Friday March 29 2024.
Police prosecutor Kate Springer said police were on mobile patrol on the Batman Highway about 7.40pm when they recorded for five seconds the BMW travelling at 164kmh in a 100kmh zone.
They activated sirens and lights but were not able to intercept the vehicle until it reached the East Tamar highway.
Empty alcohol cans were scattered in the vehicle and a breath test resulted in a reading of 0.138.
The car was clamped for travelling more than 45kmh in excess of the speed limit which ultimately resulted in a $600 special penalty.
The court heard she had been drinking vodka from 4.3005pm and had a last drink at 7pm.
Defence lawyer Elizabeth Oxley said Somerville was a qualified chef who had just finished a shift of seven days straight.
Ms Oxley told the court of several serious personal issues, including family violence in relation to a former husband, which had resulted in her being highly stressed.
She said Somerville and her current partner had a minor disagreement at her home and he left to go to Newnham leaving behind his bankcard.
"Ms Somerville realised she had the bankcard and made the decision to follow him, she was not thinking clearly at all," Ms Oxley said.
She said her partner had been stabbed in a high profile incident in Launceston and she was concerned resultant mental health difficulties could have brought about a panic attack.
Ms Oxley said Somerville was remorseful and embarrassed and accepted that she had put other road users at risk.
In sentencing magistrate Simon Brown said it was very serious episode of drink driving and a very very significant case of speeding.
"You were driving with blood alcohol of nearly three times the legal limit and more than 50kmh above the speed limit," he said.
"It was a dangerous cocktail of speed and a high reading so the matter of danger to other people on the road and to you is brought into sharp focus."
He said he accepted the unusual circumstances playing on her mind and that it was out of character.
He said that but for the mitigating circumstances the sentence could have been more serious.
He fined Somerville $1000 and disqualified her from driving for 10 months for drink driving and fined her $900 and disqualified her from driving for four months for speeding.
The disqualification was postponed for 42 days until she made an application for a restricted licence.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
