A 26-year-old police officer has been sacked from Hampshire Constabulary after being found nearly four times over the drink-drive limit while on duty, in full uniform, and behind the wheel of a marked police car.
PC Lauren Payne was discovered at Popham Services, Hampshire, on 17 January, where she was slumped in the driver’s seat of a police vehicle with an almost empty 700ml bottle of gin beside her.
Colleagues Suspected a Medical Emergency
Initially, responding officers thought PC Payne was suffering a medical episode, such as a panic attack. However, they soon detected the strong smell of alcohol. When breathalysed, she registered 137 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath – nearly four times the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
She told the hearing in a statement:
“I only wish I had understood what I was going through and sought help sooner. My job was the only thing I could stay sober for. There was a build-up of traumatic events the week prior.”
Despite her struggles, the judge at Reading Magistrates’ Court has warned that she should prepare for a possible custodial sentence when she returns for sentencing on 1 April.
