Shamed Casualty star who left nurse unconscious in cocaine-fuelled car crash given second chance with new C5 show
SHAMED Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been given a second chance in telly after landing a brand new role.
Amanda, 57, who played Connie Beauchamp in the BBC soap, has been given the lifeline by Channel 5 following a cocaine-fuelled car crash that left a male nurse unconscious.
Earlier this month, she travelled to Malta to film a guest appearance in a special episode of The Good Ship Murder.
She joined regulars Catherine Tyldesley, Shayne Ward and Ross Adams for the project.
A source told MailOnline: "Amanda is a phenomenal actress and has made many friends within the industry. Everyone has been rallying around her.
"She admitted what she did and opened up about what was going on in her life at the time. She is not a bad person and has been through a lot.
"She was already in talks about appearing on the murder mystery drama before the court case.
"And once it was all over, the little guest role gave her the life-line she very much needed."
Good Ship Murder has become a huge hit for Channel 5, featuring a different guest star each week.
The third series is currently in production and will air next year, with guest appearances by Birds of a Feather stars Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph.
The Sun has contacted representatives for Amanda and Channel 5 for comment.
Since her departure from Casualty in 2021, Amanda has shifted her focus toward directing, including an episode of Waterloo Road.
Her return to the small screen comes after a crash last January that left theatre nurse Mark Le Sage unconscious.
Amanda had taken cocaine the night before and veered across the road in her Mini, ploughing into Mr Le Sage's Skoda as he drove to work in Deeping St Nicholas.
He later told MailOnline: "I was very lucky I was in such a substantial car. I very nearly took my motorbike out that day."
Mr Le Sage, 58, said he remembered an "explosion and his car began to spin" after Amanda smashed into his vehicle.
He added: "I just came around the corner and 'bang' it was right in front of me and she hit the front corner of my car."
The dad-of-three was knocked unconscious and 'came around to find the car was filled with smoke.'
Believing his 1.6-ton SUV was on fire, he 'bashed' his way out through the passenger side. Once free, he turned his attention to Amanda.
"I looked over and saw she had blood running down the left side of her face," he said.
'My nursing instincts kicked in and I had to make sure she was OK.'
In court, Amanda pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without due care and attention. She was banned from driving for 22 months and fined £485.
The court heard she had 18mcg of cocaine in her blood—almost twice the legal limit of 10mcg—and nearly five times the legal threshold for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of the drug.
She sustained a broken wrist, a broken clavicle, and a cut to the head. Prosecutor Marie Stace said: 'He started to panic, the car was full of smoke and he couldn't get out because his foot was stuck under the pedal.
'He did get out and was assessed by a paramedic who said he needed to go to hospital.
'There was a witness following the Mini, who said he assumed there was something in the road because it went onto the other side of the carriageway.'
The crash has had life-changing consequences for Mr Le Sage, who is no longer able to work as a theatre nurse due to his impaired motor skills.
A district councillor, father-of-three, and grandfather-of-five, he also had to give up playing keyboards in his local band Zebra and can no longer play water polo.
He still suffers from flashbacks, as well as sight and hearing issues.
The court was told Amanda had been struggling in the lead-up to the crash after the death of her father and her dog.
She had taken cocaine at a friend's house before setting off home.
She has not been able to offer an explanation for why her car crossed to the opposite carriageway.
Paramedics initially thought she may have been having a hypoglycemic episode due to her alarmingly low blood sugar levels, which could have contributed to the crash.
Her lawyer Edward Lloyd told the court: 'In terms of the offence, my client pleaded guilty to drug driving at the very first opportunity.
'It's something she's deeply ashamed of. She's not somebody who takes drugs at all.
'Her brother died of a drugs overdose when he was 18 and she says herself that she should have known better.'
The court also heard that Amanda is not currently in regular work and receives a 'token salary' of £935 per month.
Speaking after sentencing, Mr Le Sage said: 'I'm glad it's over for my family and I'm so lucky and grateful for their support over what has been a very difficult time.
'I hope the Sainsbury family can now also get on with their lives.'
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