Serial-offending solicitor Helen Dugdale has admitted drink driving after concerned members of the public reported her to the police. The 57-year-old, of Cartwrights Farm Road in Speke, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on Friday where she entered guilty pleas to two charges of driving a motor vehicle when her alcohol level was above the limit.
Two incidents in Dingle
The court heard the first incident was on Sefton Street in Dingle on July 6 this year, where she drove a Volkswagen Tiguan after consuming alcohol, resulting in a breath reading of 57 micrograms (MG) in 100 millilitres (ML) of breath. The second was on Beresford Road in Dingle on August 11, where she blew 95 mg in 100 ml of breath. On this occasion, she had a passenger in the car with her.
The legal breath alcohol limit in England and Wales is 35 mg per 100 ml. The court was told: "On both occasions members of the public reported the manner of driving to the police."
Previous convictions
Dugdale, a veteran of the Liverpool law world, has previously appeared in court in relation to two other drink driving matters. She was banned from driving following an incident in 2013, after the lawyer was spotted staggering and holding onto a car after leaving an Allerton wine bar. Her car was later traced back to her home where she blew an alcohol reading more than two times the legal limit.
Four years later, Dugdale was back in court after a concerned taxi driver reported her car "zigzagging" down a busy road. When she was taken into custody, a test revealed a reading of 63 mg in 100 ml. Following her second drink driving conviction, Dugdale was fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) following a referral from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). She was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £3,500.
Dugdale took the case to the High Court, where she argued the tribunal had given too much weight to media coverage of her lower court appearances. Her convictions were covered by the ECHO, BBC, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. A High Court judge said the sanction against her was "severe", but "clearly not inappropriate", and refused the appeal.
Career and sentencing
A Liverpool University graduate, Dugdale was admitted as a solicitor in 1994. She regularly represents defendants at Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral magistrates courts and was known to have practised as recently as late June. According to a Linkedin page linked to Dugdale, her bio describes her as specialising in criminal law. It adds: "I also deal with all the motoring law problems despite my recent run in with Merseyside Police." It's not known when the bio was written.
Carlisle Magistrates' Court heard on Friday that Dugdale had also initially been charged with failing to co-operate with a preliminary test in relation to the August 11 offence. However, this was not proceeded with because of the guilty pleas. Sentencing was adjourned to allow for a pre-sentence and psychologist report to be prepared. Dugdale will appear for sentencing on October 8.
The magistrates confirmed that Dugdale was subject to an interim driving disqualification from today, which will remain in place until the full banning order is imposed at the next hearing. When asked if she understood, Dugdale replied "I do".
