Helen Dugdale (pictured) has dodged a prison sentence despite admitting drink driving for the second time
A top female lawyer who specialises in defending ‘loophole-style’ motoring cases wept in court today as she dodged a prison sentence for her second drink driving ban.
Helen Dugdale, 48, who had been drinking wine, was spotted zig-zagging along a main road during the evening rush hour whilst at the wheel of her Honda Jazz.
Eye witnesses said the vehicle – which also had two flat tyres – had to swerve to avoid crashing into pedestrians before Dugdale eventually pulled over at the side the of the road in Birkenhead, Wirral.
Police called to the scene by a concerned taxi driver found the lawyer to be unsteady on her feet, slurring her words and smelling of alcohol.
Tests showed she was almost twice the limit.
At Manchester magistrates court Dugdale, of Allerton, Liverpool, admitted drink driving but escaped with a three-year ban after claiming she had been drinking heavily as her 12-year-old daughter had been self-harming after being targeted by cyber bullies.
In 2013 she was given an 18-month ban and fined £800 after she was seen driving her Mercedes having earlier staggered out of a wine bar.
She even went on an awareness course for convicted drink drivers.
Dugdale is a lawyer who specialises in defending ‘loophole-style’ motoring cases but was caught behind the wheel at almost twice the legal drink drive limit
The shamed lawyer had been a partner at Liverpool law practise DDE Law and was described as having a ‘niche speciality’ in motoring law with a ‘vast knowledge’ of dealing with drink driving cases.
But she left the firm after her first drink driving conviction and has since been working as a consultant for a different company – even alluding to her traffic convictions on LinkedIn.
The latest offence occurred on June 29 after taxi driver Peter Cannon saw Dugdale’s Honda being driven through Birkenhead in Wirral.
Tests showed Dugdale had 63 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
Defending, Thomas Keen said Dugdale was £60,000 in debt and her daughter had been targeted by bullies.
Dugdale (right) has been fined and banned from driving for three years for her latest offence
Dugdale previously pleaded not guilty to drink driving claiming she was affected by medication she was taking.
But she changed her plea to guilty and was fined £650 and also ordered to pay £315 in costs and surcharges.
In a personal plea to JPs, she wiped tears away and said: ‘I wish that I could turn the clock back but it was something that happened because of things that were going on in my personal life. It’s not something that will happen again. I have been therapy and it’s working well. I am asking for leniency.’
Passing sentence magistrate Richard Lenderyou told Dugdale: ‘This could have resulted in a custodial sentence but we have decided against that after taking everything into account.’