Sheffield woman was 'sleeping it off in her car' when residents thought she had been drink driving

Legita Zeltite was parked on Peter More Hill, Whitwell, after going to a friend’s party nearby, when neighbours noticed the vehicle and went out, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Tuesday, January 28.

Residents thought her Ford CMax car was parked precariously and went out, one of them placing a stone under one of her front wheels to prevent her from driving off, said Becky Allsop, prosecuting.

She said: “Her speech was extremely slurred, she wasn’t making any sense and it was difficult to communicate with her. She then walked back towards her car and said to them, ‘You’re not the police’.”

Zeltite, 45, of Fishponds Road West, Sheffield, admitted being in charge of a motor vehicle while her alcohol level was above the limit, following the incident on January 4.

Mitigating, Serena Simpson said: “She had been drinking at a friend’s party and had got into her car to sleep it off because she knew she was over the limit.

“She was just asleep in the vehicle and she saw a group of people approaching her car. They were not dressed as police and she pressed the ignition button because she felt threatened. She had no intention of driving the vehicle

Zeltite’s licence was endorsed with 10 penalty points but she was not banned from the roads.

She was also fined £322 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.