A children’s worker branded police ‘evil’ and insisted she was a ‘decent girl with a lovely house’ as she was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
Melissa Truswell, 39, was pulled over by traffic officers after they spotted her driving her Mercedes erratically two miles from her home in Romiley, near Stockport, Greater Manchester.
But when she was asked to provide a roadside breath test, Truswell failed to blow properly and instead burst into tears and begged the officers to spare her.
During her meltdown, Truswell – who lives in a £350,000 three bedroomed detached house – begged: ‘Please don’t destroy my life. I’m trying to blow. I was trying it for you there.
‘I will show you that I am a decent person. Come on, you know I am a nice person. But you are going to treat me like I am a tramp. Does that make you feel quite special?
‘You know I mean I’m a decent girl. Why have you done that to me? I am a really nice person. I’ve got a lovely house. ‘
It has since emerged that Truswell had a previous conviction for drink driving from 2009.
At Wigan Magistrates’ Court, Truswell pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.
Melissa Truswell, 39, was pulled over by traffic officers after they spotted her Mercedes being driven erratically two miles from home
She branded a police officer ‘evil’ and insisted she was a ‘decent girl with a lovely house’ as she was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Pictured is Ms Truswell’s home
She lost her job as a senior residential support worker with a childcare company following her arrest.
The court heard the incident occurred at 11.40pm on August 6 last year when police saw Truswell’s Mercedes being driven along the street with its hazard warning lights illuminated.
In a statement an officer named only as Sgt Taylor said: ‘I could not see any hazards so it made me think the person may need assistance or help of some sort. I turned the police vehicle around and positioned myself behind the white Mercedes with the intention of stopping it.
‘But when driving behind it I saw that the driving was in a manner that was concerning due to swerving and poor road positioning. When attempting a right hand turn the car nearly collided with the central bollard which was illuminated and it had to make a correction.
‘Due to the extreme risk I illuminated my emergency lights on the police vehicle but the Mercedes took some time to stop and bumped up the kerb.’
The court was played footage of Truswell as she sat in the back seat of the police car. As officers quizzed her she said: ‘I have not had anything to eat for a while. Please do not destroy my life. I am a really nice person. I’ve got a lovely house.’
When asked for a sample of breath she started crying and said: ‘Why? Why are you doing this to me?’
Sgt Taylor told Truswell to blow into the machine but she did not blow for a long enough period despite being given four chances and was arrested.
At Wigan Magistrates’ Court, Truswell pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis
In response she went on: ‘Why are you arresting me? I’m trying my best’ then when she was refused a cigarette added: ‘ ‘Are you being serious? I was really trying my best for you. Why would you do that? I’ve lost my job.
‘Can I go to my car? I will show you that I am a decent person. I want to go to my car and get my stuff. Come on, you know I am a nice person.’
Sgt Taylor insisted: ‘I do not know you from Adam. I just know you have not provided a specimen of breath. You need to take some responsibility. Unfortunately you failed to provide a roadside sample.’
But Truswell sniped back: ‘That’s evil. You are not perfect either. I’ve got work to go to, I’ve got kids and everything to look after.’
The court heard she was also charged with possession of cocaine following her arrest but the charge was dropped by prosecutors after no evidence was provided showing a substance seized from her contained drugs.
In mitigation defence lawyer Brian Koffman said: ‘What we see in the footage is a woman in a very distressed state.
‘The reason she is in such a distressed state is because she knew perfectly well the moment she was stopped by the police that a conviction for driving with excess alcohol or drugs or failing to provide would be very serious indeed for her professional life.
‘She was anxious to provide a sample and she tried to do so at the roadside and tried to do so at the police station.
She repeatedly said:, ‘I tried’, ‘I tried’, and one can see she makes a number of attempts but she is unable to provide it. It is not a deliberate refusal.
‘There is no doubt looking at that footage and the other footage that she is very distressed because she was aware that being arrested is a very serious matter and she was aware of the consequences. ‘
He added: ‘The explanation for her driving was that she reached for a glass bottle of Lucozade and it spilt all over her. Up to this point she has had a responsible position and was a senior residential support worker, giving support to children who had issues.
‘The moment she was charged with this, and charged with the possession of drugs which she has always denied, that went on her DBS and she immediately lost that job.
‘The principal reason was the drug allegation although the prosecution have served no evidence as to whether the sample analyzed did contain drugs. Failing to provide would not have lost her the job.
‘She has been deeply affected by the consequences of her behaviour and her response in the police car was that of somebody very very upset about what happened. The consequences have been devastating for her and she deeply regrets the matter.
‘She understands people should not drive with drink or drugs, and should provide a sample. There is no doubt that she has learned a very important lesson from what has taken place. The consequences have already been felt and will continue to be felt.’
Truswell was bailed until September for a probation report to be prepared. An interim driving ban was also put in place.
