Driving ban for Royal Mail worker from Dunmow who 'wedged car between signs' at Birchanger services

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A charity worker has been disqualified from driving after her car was found “wedged” between two signs at the entrance of Birchanger services.

Karen Sandra Gower, 52, of The Close, in Dunmow, pleaded guilty to drink driving and was disqualified for 14 months when she appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on April 13.

She was also ordered to pay a £285 fine.

The court heard that an eyewitness reported pulling into Birchanger services, on February 4, at 1am and seeing a Peugeot “wedged sideways” between two barriers. The witness said the driver was trying to drive away by revving the engine.

After Gower emerged from her car the witness followed her, after being asked by the police to do so.

The witness followed Gower as she walked along a dual carriageway and towards several roundabouts and said that her foot gave way three times.

Police arrived approximately 30 minutes after being contacted, according to the witness.

Officers said Gower was putting herself and the witness in danger and she seemed unsteady and “smelt of alcohol”.

Gower, an administration assistant at a charity and an x-ray screener at the Royal Mail, was taken to Harlow police station where 49 micrograms of alcohol were measured in her breath. She told police she had three glasses of wine.

The legal limit for driving is 35 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath.

In mitigation, the court heard: “It is quite clear this is a complete, very bad lack of judgement on behalf of Ms Gower. She was full of remorse and quite embarrassed.”

The court heard that Gower had held her licence since 1989 and there was a “potential risk” she could lose her Royal Mail job due to the “security vetting she needs to do her job”.

Gower was ordered to pay £85 in court costs, along with a victim surcharge of £30.