A wealthy socialite caught drink-driving following a night out said she thought she had sobered up after making a 30-minute train journey to collect her car.
Kay Holcroft, 24, had been drinking white wine in a restaurant when she believed it was safe to get behind the wheel of her white £26,000 BMW 116D Sport after getting the train back from Manchester to Cheshire.
She was spotted swerving around the road as she tried to make her way back to the family’s £1.2million home in the leafy village of Prestbury.
The socialite claimed any driving ban would have a ‘massive impact’ on her, as she would be required to take public transport to work.
The incident occurred on August 15, after Holcroft posted glamorous pictures of herself on Instagram sitting inside trendy restaurant and cocktail bar Albert’s with the caption: ‘Hello weekend – it’s been a while.’
Grammar school educated Holcroft, an accounts assistant for a fashion chain, was disqualified from driving for 15 months at Stockport Magistrates’ Court after she admitted to drink driving.
Holcroft, whose millionaire parents run company supplying equipment for fork lift trucks, was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £119 in costs and surcharges.
Kay Holcroft, 24, had been drinking white wine in a restaurant when she believed it was safe to get behind the wheel of her white £26,000 BMW 116D Sport (above) after getting a 30-minute train back from Manchester to Cheshire
The incident occurred on August 15, after Holcroft had posted glamorous pictures of herself on Instagram sitting inside trendy restaurant and cocktail bar Albert’s (above) with the caption: ‘Hello weekend – it’s been a while’
The Manchester socialite was banned from driving for 15 months and fined at Stockport Magistrates’ Court
Prosecutor Gareth Hughes told the hearing: ‘Police were on patrol in the Prestbury area and when just after midnight they saw the defendant’s BMW swerving and being driven in an erratic manner.
‘She said she had visited a public house in Manchester and as the officers approached, they could smell alcohol on her breath, her eyes were also bloodshot and glazed.
‘She confirmed she had been drinking with a friend an hour beforehand in Manchester. She undertook a breathalyser test.’
Police stopped her outside the Ye Olde Admiral Rodney pub, where a breathalyser examination showed she was 21 points over the legal drink-drive limit.
Tests showed Holcroft had 56 microgrammes micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
In mitigation, defence solicitor Sam Fixter said: ‘This defendant has no previous convictions or cautions, and she has a clean driving record.
‘She had been in Manchester and had been for a meal with a friend. She had a few glasses of wine and got the train back home.
The wealthy socialite was spotted swerving around the road as she tried to make her way back to the family’s £1.2million home in the leafy village of Prestbury, Cheshire
Holcroft, whose parents run a company supplying equipment for fork lift trucks, was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £119 in costs and surcharges
Holcroft believed her 30-minute train journey had been enough time for the ‘levels of alcohol in her system to dissipate’
The socialite claimed any driving ban would have a ‘massive impact’ on her, as she would be required to take public transport to work
‘She thought because of the lapse of time while travelling on the train, that there had been enough time for the alcohol to dissipate and therefore be able to drive home. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and she was over the limit.
‘Her car was parked in a secluded car park just a few minutes’ walk from where she lives but she did not want to leave her car overnight.
‘She is extremely remorseful. She works in Cheetham Hill, Manchester as an Account Assistant and this case will have a massive impact on her as she will now have to use various public transport links to get to work.’
JP Mayor Shah told Holcroft: ‘We have taken into consideration the work you do but if you have had a drink, you should get a taxi.
‘You do not know what your body can take. Go out and have a drink but book a taxi next time.
‘A taxi would have been much cheaper than losing your license for 15 months. I hope you have got that message.’
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