Yorkshire Air Ambulance fundraiser caught drink driving

A charity worker was caught drink driving while her six-month-old son was in the car.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance fundraiser Lisa Blezard was arrested by police on Leeds Road in Castleford on January 22, Wakefield Magistrates’ Court was told today (Monday).

Blezard, 32, of Cambridge Street, Normanton, 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 white Nissan Juke after they had received a call from an Asda security officer.

She was stopped and arrested.

The court was told she had drank three glasses of wine with her friend. At around 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 currently on maternity leave, was found to have had 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – less than double the legal limit.

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Defence solicitor Toni McCann said Blezard did not believe that night she was affected by the alcohol.

The defendant had been using food replacement milkshakes, which may have made her more susceptible to its effects, Miss McCann added.

Blezard is now at risk of losing her job, Miss McCann said.

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.

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He said: “At the age of 32, for you to lose your good name is probably as great a punishment” as any he could impose.

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.”

Mr Lower said Blezard made the same mistake that so many others do in believing she had not been affected by drink before getting behind the wheel. He told her that there is “no safe amount of alcohol to drink before driving.”

As well as the 17-month ban and £500 fine, Mr Lower ordered Blezard to pay a £50 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.