Eliza Loftus received a 40 month driving ban for her latest offence(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

Addiction charity boss seeking help herself after being caught drink-driving three times

Eliza Loftus, 26, admitted to driving her Ford KA into tree following an argument with friends on a night out, where blood tests confirmed she was almost three times over the alcohol limit

by · The Mirror

A charity director dedicated to helping addicts is seeking rehabilitation herself after driving under the influence several times.

Eliza Loftus appeared in court after crashing her Ford KA into a tree while driving home from a night out on April 7, where blood tests found she was almost three times over the alcohol limit. It is said she fled the wreckage to hide behind a bush, apologising to police who later ordered her to come out from the undergrowth.

The 26-year-old, from Middlewich, Cheshire, had already completed a 12 month road ban for other drink and drug driving offences, having been found guilty of driving under the influence of cannabis back in April 2022. Loftus, who works for the Be Well Stay Well charity, admitted to the recent offence at Crewe magistrate court and received a 40 month driving ban. She is also receiving counselling from the same organisation she fundraises for and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

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The 26-year-old is now receiving therapy from the same charity she works for( Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

The court was told how Loftus had gotten into an argument with her friends during the night out, where she decided to drive two miles to get home instead of calling a cab. Prosecutor Miss Tara Thomas recalled how the defendant said "I am sorry" after police were informed she was hiding in a bush approximately 20m away from the crash.

"The officer noted the defendant was unsteady on her feet and he could smell intoxicants on her breath," Miss Thomas added. "A roadside breath test was requested, that was over the specified limit and she was therefore arrested. The defendant does have a relevant previous conviction from April 2022 and there is a drug driving conviction from May 2022.

"This is the second offence of drink driving in a ten-year period.'' Blood tests confirmed Loftus had 215 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, exceeding the legal limit of 80mg, reports Manchester Evening News.

Loftus was nearly three times over the alcohol limit when she crashed her car earlier this year( Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

Defence barrister Patrick Kelly said Loftus had shown a "genuine apology" and "expression of remorse" for her actions. "This is a lesson learnt, a major lesson learnt, something that is never going to be repeated," he added. "This is going to have a huge impact on her and others, especially on family, bitterly disappointed as she is with herself to find herself here.

Kelly said Loftus only drinks alcohol on weekends and told the court that she has suffered with "moderate depression and anxiety" since 2014 and still takes medication for the diagnoses. "On the night in question, she had been at her partner's pub," he explained. "She had been drinking there when two friends came and they decided to go elsewhere.

"They went elsewhere and one of her friends had a bit of a go at her. There was an argument and she made a stupid decision to go home and not take a taxi." Kelly added that Loftus hid in the bush due to "panic" but obliged when police called her. He also states that she was "struggling with her mental health" and needed a mental health nurse to talk to her and "calm her down".