Police officer found slumped at wheel of car after drinking bottle of gin on shift

Telegraph

01-04-2025

A police officer who was found slumped at the wheel of her car after drinking a whole bottle of gin while on shift has avoided prison.
Pc Lauren Payne, 27, was found in the driver's seat of a marked Ford Focus patrol car during a shift on January 17.
Reading Magistrates' Court was told Payne had 123mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – almost four times over the legal limit.
On January 17, Payne was sent to work at Aldershot Police Station in Hampshire because of staff shortages. She stayed until around 3:30pm when she was released from her duties and informed her line manager that she was on her way back to Andover, Prosecutor Peter Ryman said.
The force control room was concerned by an unclear message from Payne and a police sergeant found her marked police vehicle at Popham Services near Basingstoke at 4:40pm, the prosecutor said.
Payne was found her sitting in the driving seat of the police car, slumped over the wheel. The sergeant found her intoxicated and could smell alcohol, the court heard. Payne then failed a breath test.
The defendant, who was in uniform, on Tuesday admitted driving over the legal limit for alcohol on the A303.
Mr Ryman said a near-empty bottle of gin was found in her bag and a bottle of Diet Coke was also found in the car. The court later heard Payne put the gin in Diet Coke bottle.
Historic trauma
Charlotte Branfield, defending, told the court: 'This is a very sad case of a young woman who has long suffered from mental health issues.
'It was a dream, in her words, to become a police officer, formed during her struggles as a teenager.
'She wanted to help people who were vulnerable and she felt the police force was the most effective way of doing that.'
The court heard the defendant realised she had issues with alcohol in September last year and confided in a colleague and self-reported alcoholism to a staff sergeant.
She underwent an occupational health assessment. The force concluded the efforts she was making were in her favour and she was kept on the frontline of the force, Ms Branfield added.
However, Ms Branfield said the defendant was in a collision after a night shift on January 10 when she hit a deer. Subsequently, she began suffering from nightmares from the collision and could 'still smell the airbag burning from the accident' in March, the court heard.
'Fateful decision'
The car was written off and both airbags were deployed, Ms Branfield said. Payne relapsed, started drinking alcohol again and became very scared of getting into cars, the court heard.
Ms Branfield said that on January 17, the defendant suffered an extreme stress reaction – overcome with anxiety through reliving the car accident on January 10.
Ms Branfield described the incident on January 17 as a 'fateful decision' to open the bottle of gin and drink it.
'She put the gin in the near empty diet coke bottle and drank,' defence counsel added.
Payne, who admitted drink driving while on duty, worked as a police staff investigator outside Southampton Central for four years until July 2024, when she became a police constable.
The now former officer, who wore a white, spotted shirt and smart, grey suit trousers in the dock, was immediately suspended from duty and has since resigned from the force.
She had no conduct issues previously, the court heard.
Road to recovery
A written reference said Payne, of Grateley, Hants., revealed that she 'clearly cared about the public she served.'
District Judge Samuel Goozee accepted Payne was suffering from alcohol dependence and a deterioration in her mental health at the time of the offence, and accepted she had reached out to senior officers in the force.
'At the time of the offence you were endeavouring to access community-based support. You have made focused steps to address your alcohol dependency since you were arrested for this offence.'
Judge Goozee said Payne had taken 'very positive steps' and had demonstrated significant remorse for her actions.
'The references demonstrates, prior to your offending Ms Payne, you had great potential as a police officer,' Judge Goozee said.
A probation service report described Payne's actions as a 'cry for help.'
Judge Goozee said: 'That cry for help turned out to be the end of your career as police officer.'
He noted the former officer's actions placed the public at serious risk of harm.
Payne was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison suspended for one year.
She was ordered to complete up to 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, 150 hours of unpaid community work and an alcohol monitoring requirement for 120 days.
Her driving licence was revoked and she was disqualified from driving for 30 months from February 4.
She will be placed on the College of Policing's barred list for five years.