Amanda Dawn Moase was on trial after pleading not guilty an incident on Dec. 22 in the city. The charge was laid just three weeks after she had been caught behind the wheel drunk.
Const. Jason Blacquiere testified an eyewitness came into Summerside police station around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 to report a car had gone off the road at the intersection of MacKenzie Drive and Water Street.
The witness said they saw a man, a shorter woman, who they thought was driving, and white dog exit the car, which had gone through the stop sign at the intersection, drove across Water Street and landed about 100 feet off the road in a field near Community Connections.
Blacquiere and another officer located the man and the woman — Moase — minutes later walking on South Drive.
The long-time police constable with extensive experience with impaired driving cases and as a breath technician testified Moase was visibly drunk, with bloodshot eyes, smelling of alcohol and unsteady on her feet, testimony that was backed up by a second police constable who was on the scene.
Police let Moase go, since, as Blacquiere testified, there wasn’t enough evidence to lay an impaired driving charge although she was visibly impaired.
Const. Dale Corish testified that the day after the accident he took a statement from Moase who had gone into the police station. At that time, she admitted driving the car but said she had only had two beers earlier in the evening.
Moase, who took the stand in her own defence, testified she had driven through the intersection because she had been distracted by a conversation she was having with her passenger. She admitted to smoking a marijuana joint after the crash, which, she said, was why she appeared drunk when stopped by police.
Moase said she didn’t admit to driving to police at that time of the accident since she didn’t have a license.
Judge Jeff Lantz, after taking a lengthy break to review the evidence, said he didn’t believe Moase’s testimony and convicted her of impaired driving.
Moase was to be sentenced Monday on another impaired driving charge stemming from an incident on Nov. 25.
Around 2:30 a.m. city police observed a vehicle leave the Taproom with no lights on and on the wrong side of the road. The car, driven by Moase, was stopped and the woman stumbled out of the driver’s side.
She was told to get back into the car and was questioned by police. Moase had red, glossy eyes, slurred speech and couldn’t find her licence.
She was asked to exit the car and again stumbled and told police, “Yeah, I am the least drunk of the bunch,” referring to her three passengers.
Moase was convicted of impaired driving in March 2011.
Her lawyer, Trish Cheverie, requested that a presentence report be prepared.
Sentencing on both charges will take place at 10 a.m. on April 30.
nmacphee@journalpioneer.com
lanzt is the judge...he is to make a judgement based on the facts, and to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a guilty charge. Innocent until proven guilty? justice was NOT served in this case. There was room for plenty of reasonable doubt.