A hairdresser from Solihull has escaped a jail sentence after driving for two miles with only three wheels while more than twice the legal alcohol limit. Laura Hewlett-Conway, 33, was behind the wheel of a Ford Ka when one tyre was shredded and destroyed, yet she continued to drive, damaging road surfaces and narrowly missing parked cars.
Police were alerted to the erratic driving in Widney Manor Road at around 11pm on January 23 after residents heard a loud screeching noise, with some believing the car was being driven with a clamp attached. Officers traced the vehicle to a driveway in Stratford Road, where they found Hewlett-Conway standing next to the driver’s door in her pyjamas, unsteady on her feet.
She initially claimed the wheel had only just fallen off, but evidence showed a trail of destruction. Hewlett-Conway later admitted drink-driving and dangerous driving after a breath test registered 78 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath – more than double the legal limit of 35.
At Birmingham Magistrates Court, she was handed a community order including 180 hours of unpaid work and an 18-month supervision programme. She was also banned from driving for 17 months and must pass an extended driving test to regain her licence.
PC Tony Winter from Solihull Police said: “The car was making a deafening noise as it scraped its way along the road. It’s incredible she managed to drive so far without colliding with other vehicles or causing a serious accident. It was extremely dangerous driving and beggars belief she couldn’t have known there was something seriously wrong with the car.”
