Post by Taxigirl on Nov 28, 2003 10:20:10 GMT
EastEnders star Jessie Wallace has been banned from driving for three years after being caught at the wheel of her Mercedes over the alcohol limit.
Wallace, 32, of Wanstead, east London, who plays Kat Slater in the TV show, pleaded guilty to a charge of drinking and driving, before Southend Magistrates on Thursday.
The star, who appeared under her real name, Karen Wallace, was also fined £1,000.
Magistrates heard she was one-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit when she was stopped by police in Chelmsford in March.
Glasses of wine
Wallace told the court that she believed that she had drunk two glasses of wine when she was stopped by police and gave a positive breath test.
But she said she later learned that the two glasses of wine had been spiked with vodka as a joke by her uncle.
A breath test showed that she had 51mg in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
Charles Llewellyn, prosecuting, accused her and her uncle, taxi driver Dennis Bell, of Hatfield Peverel in Essex, of lying.
Both insisted that they were telling the truth.
Wallace asked the judge to use his discretionary powers and not impose a driving ban.
Second ban
She said that she believed that she had drunk two glasses of white wine before driving.
District judge Kevin Gray said he did not accept Wallace's claim and was imposing a mandatory ban.
It is the second time that Wallace has been convicted of a drinking and driving offence.
She was banned from driving for 15 months in 1998 for failing to take a breath test.
Wallace left the court without commenting.