Nan on mobility scooter sank wine while driving wrong way on Kettering road at 8mph

Fiona Buckingham was ‘completely speechless’ when police apprehended her after she drove at 8mph into incoming traffic while drunk on a dual carriageway in Kettering

An inebriated woman who sank a bottle of wine while driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway in Kettering has been prosecuted.

Fiona Buckingham was sozzled when pulled over by police after she caused “chaos” and nearly collided with other motorists on the busy A14 in Kettering, Northamptonshire, earlier this year. Authorities received multiple calls by frantic drivers who were forced to swerve to avoid hitting Buckingham while she trundled her way towards oncoming traffic in the evening of August 25.

Some drivers reportedly tried to wave down Buckingham but to no avail, as she ploughed onwards at 8mph with a rapidly-emptying bottle of wine in one hand.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard the 57-year-old was “highly intoxicated”, putting the lives of several members of the public at risk.

When she was apprehended, cops said Buckingham could “barely speak” and even tried to make a daring bid for freedom out of the police car window, while shouting “I’m not even here”.

Buckingham admitted she had caused danger to other road users, and being drunk in charge of a carriage – a Victorian law passed in 1872.

Prosecutor Christina Bilbao informed Northampton Magistrates’ Court that several motorcyclists desperately tried to stop Buckingham.

She said: “One of the bikers told police he had shouted across at the defendant and she just grunted at him. His intention was to slow traffic down and alert other road users.

“Once he’d returned back up the carriageway another car had stopped in lane one and that person was now speaking to the defendant. It was extremely busy in both directions at the end of a bank holiday weekend.

“Police were met with a scene of chaos with multiple members of the public standing in lane one having put themselves in danger. People were waving their arms and had lights in the air.”

Ms Bilbao said: “Her actions put the lives of multiple members of the public at risk that night, including her own. The evidence of the police officers was that she didn’t believe she’d done anything wrong.”

Magistrate Suzanne Austin said: “There’s not many times I’m speechless to be honest. This is a very unusual charge but it doesn’t take away how dangerous it was.

“It’s a very, very busy piece of road. The decisions you made on that day were in drink, but it’s no excuse for your behaviour.”

Buckingham was given a community order including 30 rehabilitation activity days and six months of alcohol treatment.

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