Two drunk driving charges in one month for Alberta woman who was home visiting

NEW?GLASGOW - A Fredericton woman will lose her licence for two years and face nearly $3,000 in fines for two drunk driving incidents that happened a month apart this summer in two different counties.
The first incident involving Tabatha Mary Hamer, 26, occurred around 10 p.m. July 14 in New Glasgow. Police had received a call about a suspected impaired driver after a vehicle was parked on the curb and sidewalk near Dooly's.
When police made a patrol by the establishment, the vehicle was empty. However, shortly afterward, police were stopped by a civilian, who told them the vehicle was turning from George onto Provost Street.
Police watched as the vehicle weaved up Provost Street, almost hitting the curb as it turned from Jury Street onto East River Road, finally pulling into the Needs store.
The female driver, identified by an Alberta driver's licence as Hamer, stumbled as she got out of the vehicle, telling police she "had knee surgery recently" and that was the reason for her trouble, said Crown attorney Del Atwood.
Defence lawyer Tim Daley confirmed for the court that his client, a longtime female hockey player, had surgery prior to the incident.
Hamer, who told police she was "home visiting from Alberta," had a case of Coors Light Beer on the floor of her vehicle. Five of the bottles were empty.
Breathalyser readings showed that Hamer's blood alcohol level was well over the legal limit.
Hamer was involved in a second impaired driving incident less than a month later in Antigonish County. Mounties in that area also received a call about a suspected drunk driver between Sherbrooke and Antigonish.
When the Mounties located the vehicle, it was straddling the centre line of the road. Hamer told police that the reason for the poor driving was that she was using an iPod and was taking morphine and dilauded as she recovered from surgery. Her last drink had been 20 minutes before at a party, she added.
Both of Hamer's blood alcohol readings showed more than twice the legal limit.
The readings from both incidents prompted the Crown to ask for increased fines. Because Hamer had not been convicted yet at the time the second incident occurred, she was not facing jail time because she had no prior record.
Hamer will be facing elevated fines for both of the incidents. She'll have to pay $2,760 and face a two-year driving prohibition, as well as nine months of probation.