Housewife who crashed Ford Focus into another car while almost four times the drink limit AVOIDS jail after saying three relatives have died – including one with Covid
- Zacka Beamish, 46, ploughed into another car while driving over legal drink limit
- Her Ford Focus crashed and unmarked police car witnessed her try to drive off
- Defence said there had been three bereavements in Mrs Beamish’s family
A housewife who crashed her Ford Focus into another car while almost four times the drink limit avoided jail after saying three of her relatives have died, including one from Covid.
Zacka Beamish, 46, failed a breath test last Christmas after ploughing her Ford Focus into the back of another car in Salford following a drinking binge.
As the other driver got out to exchange details, Beamish tried to drive away from the scene but was stopped by a passing police patrol.
Zacka Beamish, 46, (pictured) ploughed her Ford Focus into another car in Salford after a drinking binge last December
After being pulled over by police when she tried to drive away from the scene, the housewife was found to be almost four times the drink limit
Tests showed she had 138 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
She had no insurance or licence and had a previous drink driving conviction from 2016.
At Manchester Magistrates Court Beamish from Eccles, near Salford faced jail after admitting drink driving, having no insurance and no driving licence.
But she walked free with 18 weeks custody suspended for two years after she said one of three relatives who passed away since August last year had died from Covid-19. It was not disclosed who the family members were in relation to her.
The incident occurred at 12.30am on December 5 last year after mother of four Beamish was seen driving her car erratically through the Swinton area of Salford.
She avoided jail at Manchester Magistrates Court after saying three of her relatives have died, including one from Covid
Prosecutor Peter Conroy said: ‘The defendant drove into the back of a Hyundai car and it happened in front of a police officer, who was in an unmarked vehicle.
‘The officer observed the defendant drive a short distance of 20 metres after crashing and he thought the defendant was going to get out of her car to exchange details with the victim.
‘But instead she began to drive off again and he then stopped her so she could not drive off any further.
‘He noticed her speech was slurred and then identified himself as a police officer. She kept saying she was “sorry”.
‘Police checks also showed she had no insurance and no license. She took a breath sample and the lowest reading was 138 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath – therefore the custody threshold has clearly been passed.
Beamish’s most recent conviction was when she received an 18 month disqualification from driving in October 2016.
Prosecutor Peter Conroy continued: ‘The reading of 138 microgrammes is one of the highest readings I have ever seen which is aggregated by her previous convictions and a road traffic incident which is not surprisingly with the level of alcohol in her system.’
Beamish walked free with 18 weeks custody suspended for two years but it was not disclosed who the family members who had died were in relation to her
In mitigation defence lawyer Miss Abigail Henry said: ‘Mrs Beamish is well aware she may well face a custodial sentence today. I would ask for you to consider a suspended sentence but it clearly passes the custody threshold.
‘She is able to abstain from alcohol. There has been three bereavements in her family over the past six months, one which was as a result of COVID. Her life had spiralled out of control in having to deal with this and she fully accepts her poor behaviour.
‘It is quite clear this lady has a problem with alcohol.’
Beamish was also ordered to complete a 9 month alcohol treatment programme, banned from driving for five years and was ordered to pay £213 in costs and surcharges.
Chair of the bench Alison Edwards said: ‘I have listened to what has been said. This was one of the highest readings I have ever heard and you put the lives of other road users at risk – you were lucky nobody was hurt.’