A British Airways air hostess confessed to police officers “I am going to be honest, it’s going to come back positive” before she was breathalysed at the roadside – as she was nearly five times over the drink-drive limit.
Emma Newton Owen, 45, was discovered slumped in her car while parked on a roundabout. A court heard that the stewardess had been driving erratically and worried motorists alerted the police. Surrey Constabulary received another call from an ambulance crew who found Newton Owen’s car obstructing other vehicles on a roundabout and preventing them from continuing their journey.
When police arrived at the scene near Guildford, Surrey, the car had been moved to the side of the road by a taxi driver with Newton Owen slumped over the steering wheel.
Initially, it was thought she had suffered a medical episode, but she confessed to the police that she had been drinking.
Newton Owen, a mother-of-one, was arrested at the scene on September 19, still in her BA uniform, according to Mail Online. She had been driving back to her home in Horley, Surrey, from Heathrow Airport after being part of a crew on a short haul flight that day.
Natalie Roepke, prosecuting, told the court Newton Owen admitted to police before being breathalysed: “I am going to be honest, it’s going to come back positive,” reports the Mirror.
A blood alcohol test at a police station later revealed she was almost five times over the legal drink drive limit.
Annie Finn, the solicitor for Newton Owen, informed the court that her client had been living in fear due to persistent domestic abuse, leading her to dread returning home. She explained that Newton Owen’s decision to drink and drive was a “cry for help” and an erroneous choice.
The court heard that Newton Owen had now separated from her husband Gawain following his arrest on charges of domestic violence, which included assaulting his wife with a bottle and threats to end her life. “There was a lot going on with controlling behaviour. All of it became too much and she took the decision to drive. This was a cry for help,” Ms Finn stated.
She further added: “She is now a single mum with a six-year-old daughter. Her husband is no longer living at the home address and she is being supported by her parents.”
The court was informed that Newton Owen had no prior convictions and was a hardworking individual of good character. Dressed in a black and red check jacket with her hair tied back in a ponytail, Newton Owen wiped away tears as she stood in the dock and admitted to drink driving.
The court was told that she was currently on long-term sick leave from British Airways, where she had been employed as a flight attendant for two decades. Newton Owen expressed that it was not safe for her to continue in her role as flight crew.
Chief magistrate Carol Magras postponed the hearing for eight weeks to allow the probation service to prepare a pre-sentence report. Newton Owen, who attended court with her parents, declined to comment outside the courtroom.
She is scheduled to reappear in January for sentencing.
If you have been affected by issues of domestic violence or coercive control you can call Refuge’s 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free. The number is 0808 2000 247