A young businesswoman has been disqualified from driving after being stopped in her 160mph Porsche Panamera while more than twice the legal alcohol limit, in what she claimed was a desperate search for a toilet 125 miles from home.
Lucy Mustard, 27, from the Northamptonshire village of Islip, was pulled over by police on the Silk Road in Macclesfield after a member of the public reported a vehicle being driven erratically. Officers discovered she had been drink-driving in the high-performance Panamera D V6 Tiptronic.
Crewe Magistrates’ Court heard that when police stopped Mustard, she told them she had tried to use facilities at a nearby garage but it was closed, leaving her “in desperate need of relief”.
Prosecutor Diana Przemecka said: “A report was made to police by a member of the public that a driver was driving their vehicle erratically. Police subsequently located that vehicle and it was caused to stop. The defendant was the driver and was asked to provide a sample of breath… the result of the roadside sample was 84 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.”
Mustard was arrested and taken to custody, where evidential breath samples gave a lower reading of 79 micrograms — more than double the legal limit of 35mg. She pleaded guilty to drink-driving and had no previous convictions.
In mitigation, her barrister Lisa Judge argued that there was “no evidence before this court of any form of erratic driving” from the arresting officer’s account. She explained that Mustard had intended to stop at a garage but, finding it closed, sought a place nearby to relieve herself — which may have prompted the public call.
“She comes before you with a hitherto unblemished character and in attendance with her is her mother,” Judge told the court. “One of the reasons Miss Mustard is before the court is because of the stress and anxiety that she has been subjected to for a protracted period of time.”
The court was told Mustard had been dealing with significant personal pressures, including caring responsibilities after her brother sustained serious injuries requiring surgery and home care, followed by her mother breaking her back — both of whom she helps care for while commuting between London and Northamptonshire. She was also said to be recovering from a distressing breakup with a man who later began harassing her.
“This is a young lady who normally has extremely good judgement,” Judge continued. “But on this particular occasion, not. The guilty plea indicated not only her remorse but also her shame.”
Magistrates acknowledged her previous good character, lack of any accident, and absence of evidence of poor driving. Mustard was banned from driving for 19 months, fined £621, and ordered to pay £333 in costs and victim surcharge. She was also offered a place on a drink-driving awareness course which, if completed, will reduce her ban by a quarter.
JP Annie Walford remarked: “We could have considered a community penalty but you have no offending history, there was no accident and there is no evidence of bad driving.”
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