A MALMESBURY woman who led police officers on a high-speed chase through the streets of Swindon to Royal Wootton Bassett has narrowly avoided being sent to jail, but been told she won’t be allowed to attend a family holiday to Scotland.

Alice Edwards caught the attention of police officers on patrol during the early hours of the morning of May 14 after she clipped a mini roundabout. She then sped off down the A419 southbound and through the streets of Swindon towards Royal Wootton Bassett.

The 24-year-old of Newton Grove, Malmesbury, pleaded guilty to driving her VW Polo dangerously and failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis when she first came before the court two days after the offence. On Tuesday she returned to court to be sentenced for the offences.

Crown prosecutor Anna Humphreys told the magistrates that Edwards had led police on a 20 minute chase through the streets of Swindon where she exceeded the speed limit by an average of 20mph.

She had had to take evasive action to avoid a drunk man in the street on Faringdon Road which saw her veer onto the wrong side of the road.

She mounted a pavement to avoid a police stinger before she was eventually brought to a halt by a stinger in Bincknoll Lane, Royal Wootton Bassett.

Her defence, Ben Worthington, told the court that Edwards had been on a night out in Swindon with some friends with whom she had planned to stay with overnight, but they had become separated.

“There are two root causes for these offences,” he said. “One of them is alcohol and the other is poor consequential thinking skills.

“She went back to her car thinking she would sleep in it, but it was cold so she made the very wrong and poor decision to drive home.

“Having been arrested and taken back to the police station where she gave a reading of 32, which is under the drink drive limit of 35. Had she given a second specimen she probably wouldn’t have been prosecuted for failing to provide, but she didn’t and there she has pleaded guilty.”

He explained Edwards had taken steps to tackle her alcohol problem and was attending group work.

“These offences have been somewhat of an epiphany for her and she does realise she need to take steps to prevent that,” he said.

Addressing the magistrates on her sentence he requested that if they imposed a curfew that it be lifted during July for her to go on a pre-arranged sailing holiday with her father in Scotland.

The bench retired to consider their verdict for more than 20 minutes.

Returning, chairman of the bench Amanda Lee said: “The bench had a lot to consider, hence the time we were out, and you need to understand that if it were not for your guilty plea this would have been dealt with in the crown court.

“We are sending you to prison for six months, however this sentence will be suspended for 18 months.”

Edwards must complete 25 rehabilitation days and undergo an alcohol treatment programme. She will also be subjected to a tagged curfew between the hours of 9pm and 6am seven days a week for the next six weeks – with no waiver for the holiday.

She is also banned from driving for two years and must complete and extended retest before regaining her licence. The bench said they would not be offering her the chance to reduce her ban by completing a drink drivers’ awareness course.

They also imposed a 12 month ban for failing to provide a specimen which will run concurrently along with a victim surcharge of £115 and court costs of £85.

“I just want to stress that this suspended sentence is for 18 months,” said Ms Lee. “If you come back to court for any other offence you can expect this six month custodial sentence to start.”