Wrong-way motorway drunk driver given suspended jail sentence

Katy Homer, 27, brought terror to drivers using the motorway before swerving on to the hard-shoulder to avoid a head-on collision with a lorry on December 4 last year.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard one lorry driver had seen Homer's headlights approaching and had flashed his own lights to try and get her to take action.

The court was told she had joined the southbound side of the motorway at Junction 2 Oldbury before driving three miles north to Junction 1 West Bromwich.

Upon leaving the motorway Homer, of Clent View Road, Colley Gate, had circled the Kenrick Way roundabout twice before stopping for police.

Officers had been forced to flash their torches before she stopped.

She was recorded as having 79 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal alcohol limit is 35 microgrammes.

Today she was given a four-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months.

See also: I was drunk, admits wrong-way driver

Homer, a mother-of-three, was banned from driving for three years, placed under supervision for 12 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work.

She had pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving and one count of driving with excess alcohol at a previous hearing.

Judge Michael Dudley said: "This was a very serious driving offence because you were twice over the legal limit.

"You drove a car and that in itself is serious enough but then you drove along the M5 in the wrong direction.

"There is evidence the motorway was relatively busy for the early hours of the morning in terms of HGV traffic.

"One HGV driver saw your vehicle in his path and tried to get you to react by flashing his lights.

"You did not react straight away but finally you did and drove on the hard shoulder."

"I accept you are genuinely remorseful."

Sean Kyne, acting sector crown prosecutor for West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Katy Homer was twice over the drink drive limit and then drove her car on the motorway in the wrong direction.

"Her irresponsible actions not only put herself in danger but other road users too.

"It was fortunate that this dangerous act was undertaken at a time when traffic conditions were light or the risks would have been substantially increased.

"We hope that this case sends out a clear message that driving when drunk is extremely dangerous and offenders will be prosecuted."