‘We don’t often see readings this high’: P.E.I. woman drunk driving over four times legal limit gets jail
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Driving drunk whereas greater than 4 instances the authorized restrict has led to jail time for a P.E.I. girl.
“We do not usually see readings this excessive”, mentioned Chief Choose Jeff Lantz on Dec. 8 in provincial court docket in Charlottetown. At that court docket look, Christine Ann McKeown, 43, pleaded responsible to the impaired driving cost and was sentenced.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9 at round 8:12 p.m., Charlottetown police obtained a report from a involved citizen a few doable impaired driver in a Honda CRV on Pond Road, mentioned Crown legal professional Jeff MacDonald. Police situated the motorized vehicle pushed by McKeown. Officers spoke to McKeown and observed that she was exhibiting indicators of impairment. McKeown failed a roadside alcohol screening check. She was arrested, and on the Charlottetown police station supplied two samples of 330 milligrams (mg) of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – greater than 4 instances the authorized restrict of 80 mg. Because of the excessive alcohol readings, McKeown spent the evening in custody, mentioned MacDonald.
McKeown was self-represented in court docket. She mentioned that previous to the drunk driving incident, she had been coping with her alcohol habit challenge, together with seeing a counsellor since March for her alcohol use.
McKeown mentioned she was anxious about shedding her full-time job with the federal government and requested to serve the sentence on weekends. The extent of presidency McKeown works for wasn’t laid out in court docket.
Lantz mentioned the “extraordinarily excessive” blood-alcohol readings supported the notion that she was coping with an alcohol habit. As effectively, the readings had been effectively above the annoying ranges within the Legal Code of Canada of 120 mg and 160 mg, mentioned Lantz.
Lantz sentenced McKeown to 10 days in jail, a $2,000 high-quality and a $600 sufferer surcharge. She was additionally banned from driving for one yr (plus the time in jail) and positioned on probation till the sentence was accomplished.
McKeown was allowed to serve the jail sentence on weekends.
She didn’t have a previous felony report.
Terrence McEachern is a justice reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He could be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and could be adopted on Twitter @terry_mcn.
