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Weekend jail for drunk driver

06 Nov, 2009 07:51 AM
A Canberra driver who drunkenly swerved on to the wrong side of the road and hit a pedestrian has been ordered to serve 12 months of weekend jail.

Jenna Quinlan, 30, of Braddon, was yesterday convicted in the ACT Supreme Court of culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm.

Chief Justice Terence Higgins heard Quinlan had been drinking with a friend at the Civic Uni Pub before she got behind the wheel and veered on to the wrong side of Hutton Street, mowing down a female pedestrian.

The court heard Quinlan continued driving, got home and told her husband she thought she had hit someone. The couple then drove back to the accident scene, where Quinlan told police what had happened.

A breath test revealed she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.145. The victim was left with a fractured jaw, bruising to the brain and broken teeth.

Yesterday, Quinlan told the court she felt terrible about the incident, which she said had occurred a week after her husband announced he wanted a divorce.

The court heard she did not feel she deserved happiness because of the pain and suffering she had caused the victim.

Quinlan's lawyer said the young woman, who works as a paralegal, had written a letter of apology to the pedestrian.

Chief Justice Higgins was told the victim planned to sue Quinlan and that Quinlan had offered to assist the victim's lawyers, despite the fact it might disadvantage her own case.

Quinlan, who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, was ordered to serve 12 months of weekend jail and sign a good behaviour order. The remaining six months of her sentence were suspended.

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