at court in less than 9 hours and scared stupid!

[juebar]

Hi all , i posted earlier in the month just after i had been caught dd, it has been a living nightmare for myself and my family. I now pretty much know what happened but not from memory form witnesses and the police. I had spent the morning shopping and drove home sober, on the way i had an accident on a known bad patch of road, it was wet and there was mud and cow pooh on the road and i must have misjudged the bend, i apparantly hit one side of the hedge and the car was knocked to the other side at some point i badley hit my head off the bit that holds the seat belt, i must have pulled into a lay by and a passer by called the police as she had seen me crying in the layby in my smashed up car.as my shopping was in the boot i must have got out and got the small pack of miniture vodkas and drank four there was one left, and then i must have tried to drive home, i apparantly pulled into a drive which wasnt mine and the men there called the police, so i got out of the car picked up a brick and threw it through the mans windscreen. I am shocked and totally lost with this, as i am a mum of four daughters one of whom has cerebral palsy and i am her driver and carer. I have been to the doctors who said i was concussed and still am as i still cant remember anything even the crash. Im a bit forgetfull at the moment and am afraid of driving, although i wont need to be after tommorow. I am so scared of going to court , i havnt slept properly since it happened and im pretty sure i wont sleep much tonight. I am worried how i will manage to get my little girl to school 3 miles away without a car, im scared it will be in the paper and people will judge me on it and even worse my daughters will get picked on or be embarrassed .I have never been in trouble before and what has happened is totally out of character for me. I admit im no saint but Criminal damage and dd? Its just not me, im going to plead guilty as i know i must have done it,and want to get it over with as quick as possible.I am so ashamed and feel like i could run and hide till it goes away. Since it happened my 14 year old daughter has been disgusted with me and to be honest she has been nasty and hurtfull, it was my 40th last saturday and i did nothing i felt like they all thought i didnt deserve a nice birthday, so i just carried on as normal, although my little one did get me a cake.My husband is taking me tommorow but even he keeps on with the snide remarks or little digs so i know ill be in a state before i get there, im afraid i will cry or have a panic attack in court and look like a fool, did anyone else feel so afraid? Is there any advice or tips just to help me for tommorow/ today ? Sorry for moaning on but i think ill go mad if i sit up all night without doing something , any advice would be a big help Thankyou Julie

 

[stevey g]

Hi Julie
I was the same but it will be over quickly. I lost my job and had to change my life to go without a car. You will adapt and will certainly find out who your true friends are. You will feel you have let everyone down but my wife said you can sit down and feel sorry for yourself or get up and move on. Even if your case is in the newspapers, today's news is tomorrow's chip wrapping paper.
Sending good wishes your way.
Stevey g

 

[juebar]

Thankyou Stevie g,! Well its all over ( the worst part of it anyway), I didnt sleep and was more than a bag of nerves, i got to court and saw the duty solicitor , i didnt think he seemed that interested so was expecting the worst. I got called at 10 am so not much waiting around, i had no idea i would have to go in a plastic doc. I was shaking uncontrollablly and the magistrates could see that. I pleaded guilty straight away,after the prosecution spoke of a mad woman whom i didnt know, the duty solicitor stood up and he was amazing, he explained that i had the crash etc and that i wasnt actually caught drink driving , he explained that on arrest my bac was 75 and an hour later when i got to the police station it was 202 which meant the alcohol must have been drunk recently not before the crash,i gave one sample at the police station but after 4 attempts i couldnt for a reason unknown do another one, i had been upset and crying at the station but fully cooperative, so i was charged with failure to provide, he explained my daughters situation and that the brand new golf was a motorbility car,and i had no previous and was a good person and how distraught i was. The court clerk was explaining that if it was a cut and dry failure i should get 18 months ban at least but it was not cut and dry and the doctor had agreed i was and still am concussed. The magistrates left and were out for what seemed like an eternity, they then called the clerk in and it was more waiting, i was pretty close to breaking down when they came back in. I got a 12 month ban reduced to 9 if i do the course, and 100 pound fine for failure, i did not get done for criminal damage but had to pau 100 pound to fix the mans windsceen,£ 85.00 costs and £15.00 victim support. I was shocked and amazed, all in all £300 and 9months ban has got to be the lowest they could have given me. I think my main punishment has been the torture of the last few weeks and no recollection, the stigma, that look you get when people know what youve done and the fact my husband has to do all the driving now until august next year, i am lucky and am so thankful that they were lienient,i also got a 12 month conditional discharge for the criminal damage so i have to be good for a year or i will be charged with the criminal damage too. I certainly have learnt a valuable lesson from all of this and hope others will read my story and think twice before drinking and getting in the car, i could have easily lost a lot more, now i am aiming to put it behind me, and get on with christmas i aim to make it a memorable , happy one for us all. My newborn granddaughter is coming to visit tommorow for a week and i feel so lucky that i have the chance to see her, i know who my true friends are now and wont be bothering with the ones who arnt,hopefully a lot of happy times ahead ive had enough of doom and gloom. Thankyou to everyone and A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL xx

 

[stevey g]

Hi Juley
Only just seen your reply, glad you got the minimum. I got 12 months ban reduced to 9 for doing the course. Don't worry about the course, it is only 4 sessions but you must not be late. It will change your attitude to drinking and driving completely. I did not think it would but it did and now I NEVER drink at all if driving my car or riding my motorbike. My wife is very relieved about this. I know it sounds a bit of a cliche but 9 months will soon pass and you have your grand daughter to enjoy. I was a parcel delivery driver but now I work in a pub. Trust me Juley the pub car park is full every night so no one can tell me they are all under the limit. There are hundreds out there so we were just unlucky but at least we did not hurt someone else or ourselves through drink driving-that would have been hard to live with.
Merry Christmas and best wishes. Stevey g