It was one ride too many. A trip to prison. On that evening in march of this year, the 59-year-old woman was not surprised that she was already under double arrest for driving drunk and black over and over again. A police patrol caught the woman driving home on a moped with 1.1 blood alcohol level. An act that now finally brings the barrel to overflowing: the businesswoman now has to spend six months behind bars.
The verdict by criminal court judge and district court director helga muller is something like the final point of an ominous development that began a good four years ago. At that time, the life of the defendant took a fateful turn. She is the victim of a traffic accident. The health problems afterwards are enormous, the degree of the heavy handicap is with 70 per cent.
Under double jeopardy
In the same year her marriage is divorced. At the same time, alcohol becomes a dominant theme. The 59-year-old was caught driving drunk for the first time in summer 2017. She has to give up her driving license for some time – but still keeps on driving. She is caught again, has alcohol in her blood again – it is the beginning of a fatal cycle.
"A massive lack of understanding."The prosecutor about the defendant
The fate of the woman leaves no one cold. From "compassion and understanding speaks, for example, the prosecutor in his conclusion. Only: both have long been used up. Again and again black runs, again and again alcohol. High fines hail, which in the end push up to 180 day sentences. Suspension of driver’s license follows suspension of driver’s license. There is a first custodial sentence over six months – suspended for preservation. There is a second custodial sentence of ten months – again suspended for custody. This time, in addition to the black and drunk driving, there is also fraud.
The verdict last fall was something like the very last chance for the woman, once again there was at least compassion. The court’s warning at the time was clear: the next incident would be "the end of the line".
Volunteering for a support group
Facing this shift end, the defendant nevertheless tries to ask for understanding once again. The ride in march on the moped was only because a customer called and wanted to buy something. The fact that the less than 500 meters between the store and the apartment had to be covered by foot did not seem to be an option. It will "never happen again, promises the accused. And she also wants to get a grip on alcohol, having joined a self-help group a few weeks ago. She has not drunk alcohol for eight weeks now.
And: things are going to change in her life anyway, the businesswoman emphasizes. After she was making a killing with her store anyway, she was thinking of giving up the limited business altogether. So most of their journeys will be saved as well.
No more leeway
However, it is long too late to make weather: the "massive lack of understanding" and the two-time guardians love no more leeway, the public prosecutor’s office emphasizes, and sees an eight-month prison sentence as appropriate. While the defense is once again bringing a fine into play, it is clear to the court "that a custodial sentence must now be imposed because you cannot be impressed in any other way".
Accordingly, the verdict: the 59-year-old must spend six months in jail. In addition, her driver’s license remains confiscated for two more years and she is not allowed to ride a bike for six months – she is now exclusively a fubganger.
The judgment is not yet legally binding. As a result of the conviction, the company’s wife must also reckon with the fact that the two previous preservations will be revoked and that she will have to serve the six and ten months imposed at that time.