Nurse given driving ban after GP practice crash
BBCA nurse has been banned from driving and fined, after she crashed into the wall of a GP practice whilst drunk.
Carla Earnshaw, 39, from Great Strickland, near Penrith, drove into Shap Medical Practice last month after drinking too much wine the night before, Carlisle Magistrates' Court heard.
Two people suffered minor injuries and the wall of the building where the dispensary is situated was damaged.
Earnshaw was banned from driving for three years - to be reduced by 36 weeks if she completes a drink-drive rehabilitation course - and must pay a £500 fine, along with a £200 mandatory surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
Evidential test analysis showed the nurse had 62 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal driving limit is 35mcg.
In court, Earnshaw admitted driving over the legal limit.
The practice was closed for several days after the incident, with an NHS spokesman confirming a structural engineer had been called in to assess the building in the aftermath of the crash.
GoogleEarnshaw had a previous drink-driving conviction dating back to January 2024, the court heard, and had received a two-year ban.
Her licence was returned to her last year after she had completed a drink-drive rehabilitation course.
Defence lawyer Carl Millar, mitigating, said Earnshaw had consumed the wine the night before the collision, after six consecutive days of work.
She rose early the following morning, and had gone to collect a prescription while behind the wheel of an "unfamiliar" car, Millar said.
"She is extremely remorseful. She knows it doesn't look good to be back before the court," her lawyer said.
Earnshaw had been working for the NHS in a West Yorkshire care home before moving recently to Cumbria.
She had previously sought to tackle alcohol-related issues, and had undergone counselling and therapy, Millar added.
But district judge Philip Holden said: "It must have been the case that you had a considerable amount to drink - if indeed the drink was consumed the previous night."
