by Sarah Shaffi

A suspended police inspector found guilty of drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of the accident plans to appeal against her conviction.

Dione Mayfield, from Rainham, was found guilty of the two offences by district judge Michael Kelly at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Speaking after the verdict an emotional Mayfield said: "I am planning to appeal."

Mayfield had protested her innocence, saying a man named Jason had been driving when her car hit another in Bloors Lane, Rainham.

But in giving his verdict Judge Kelly said: "Given the evidence of the witnesses and the fact Jason isn’t here it has become an inescapable conclusion for me that Jason doesn’t exist and that you were the driver and you caused the accident and you were driving at the time."

Mayfield was found guilty of driving her Ford Focus while her alcohol level was above the legal limit on September 25 in Bloors Lane. She had 103 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

She was also found guilty of failing to stop at the scene of an accident on the same day in the same place.

She has been suspended from the police force.

Judge Kelly sentenced Mayfield to complete 200 hours unpaid work, disqualified her for two years and ordered her to pay £1,000 costs.

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