Helen Dugdale, a 57-year-old solicitor, has been banned from driving for a third time after admitting to two separate instances of drunk driving in July and August. This marks the fourth time she has been caught driving under the influence since 2013.
During her most recent offense on August 11 in Liverpool, Dugdale was found to be driving her VW Tiguan with an alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit. Five weeks prior, on July 6, she was stopped in the same vehicle and recorded an alcohol level of 95mgs of alcohol per 100ml of breath, well above the legal limit of 35mgs.
Police were alerted to Dugdale's erratic driving by members of the public on both occasions. On the latter incident, a passenger was present in the vehicle. Following her admissions, magistrates at Carlisle Magistrates Court temporarily banned Dugdale from the road and warned her of potential imprisonment if she violates the ban. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8.
Dugdale's prior driving offenses include a three-year ban and a £650 fine in September 2017 for her second DUI conviction. In that instance, she was observed driving erratically and crashing into a kerb before being found unresponsive in her vehicle. At the time, she attributed her behavior to stress from litigation following the collapse of her legal partnership, which had left her in debt. She was subsequently fined £15,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for misconduct. Her first DUI conviction in October 2013 resulted in an 18-month driving ban.