A wealthy housewife facing jail for Christmas drin

A wealthy housewife facing jail for Christmas drink-driving
after a bridge party walked free from court today Friday.

Mrs Penelope Clasper’s barrister claimed the first time
offender was made an example by controversial magistrate Pamela
Long to dissuade others from Christmas drink-driving.

And Judge Gerald Butler, QC, quashed the five day jail sentence
imposed on Mrs Clasper, 42, by the Horseferry Road magistrate.

The mother of two had admitted being almost twice over the drink
drive limit on December 11 last year.

‘It’s hard to see how an offence committed in June was less
serious than the same offence committed in December,’ said the judge
at the appeal against sentence held at Southwark Crown Court.

‘In these circmstances the sentence ought not to have been
passed.

‘
The judge ordered that Clasper’s 200 fine and her 15
month ban would stand.

Speaking outside the court, the founder member of the Campaign
Against Drink and Driving, Mr John Knight, slammed the judge’s
decision.

‘If all drink-drivers have a taste of prison then there will be
a lot less death on the road,’ he said.

‘Had the sentence been upheld it would have sent shock waves
through this layer of society.

‘It would have encouraged magistrates to use their powers,’ Mr
Knight added.

Clasper was driving home from a Richmond bridge party on
December 11 when officers saw her swerve into the path of a Mercedes
jeep in Kensington High Road.

The driver had to slam on his brakes to avoid a collision with
Clasper’s Volkswagen Golf.

Police stopped her and she was breathalysed and taken to the
station, where she spent three hours in a cell.

Her barrister Mr Marks (corr) Moore said Clasper had been
drinking wine and eating cheese at the card party.

‘Regrettably she felt she had not drunk sufficient wine to be
over the limit’
Mr Moore added that it was the view of ‘certain courts and
areas that examples should be made at the Christmas period and people
should be sent to prison with regard to drink-driving.

‘It is as plain as a pikestaff that if a person is going to
drink drive the sentence should be exactly the same all the year.

‘
Counsel said that Clasper, who lives in a pnds 300,000 flat with
her businessman husband in Campden Hill Road, Kensington, was a
‘wholly respectable person’ with an almost spotless 26 year driving
record.

Clasper’s small leather goods business has been badly affected
by the loss of her licence and he urged the judge to quash the ban
as well as the jail term.

Judge Butler said he took into account that there were ‘no
aggravating features in the case, such as dangerous driving.

‘
‘Each case should be treated in isolation,’ he said.

‘I know no principle that suggests that because an offence is
committed at any particular time of the year it is either more or less
serious.

‘
Clasper made no comment as she hurried from the court.

ENDS
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