Drink-driver, 24, who downed shots then ignored her friends’ pleas to slow down is jailed after head-on crash that left woman with life-changing injuries

By RICHARD MARSDEN and FRANKIE ELLIOTT[1]

Published: 22:59, 5 February 2025 | Updated: 23:28, 5 February 2025

A drink driver who ignored her friends' pleas to slow down before crashing her Audi head-on into another car and leaving a woman with life-changing injuries has been jailed.

Gabrielle Dures had been downing shots in The Lighthouse pub in Wallasey on the Wirral, Cheshire, before getting into her car and driving down a coastal road at twice the speed limit, Liverpool Crown Court was told.

She ignored the desperate pleas of her panicking passengers and ploughed into a Fiat 500 at 63mph on a 30mph road, causing serious injuries to occupants of both wrecked vehicles on the evening of May 29, 2023.

The 24-year-old, of Kirkway, Upton, Wirral, pleaded guilty to four offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and dabbed away the tears as she was jailed to 32 months behind bars on Wednesday.

CCTV images showed Durres leaving the pub at 9.30pm with a glass in hand, which she drained and then tossed aside, as she got into her grey Audi A1 and set off for the James Atherton pub in New Brighton[2].

She told her friend Megan Findlay and three new pals she had met for the first time that night - Stevie Garrity, Sophie Ford and Renee Hunt - that she was 'fine to drive' after one of them suggested getting a taxi.

The court heard that Ms Garrity's right arm was so badly injured from the collision she nearly had to have it amputated and also suffered a fractured leg and two spinal fractures.

In a harrowing impact statement read out to the courtroom, Ms Garrity said her whole life had been 'devastated' because of the crash.

Gabrielle Dures, 24, drove her grey Audi A1 into an oncoming white Fiat 500 whilst travelling 'at speed' along a coastal road near her home on the Wirral, on Merseyside

Dures was released on unconditional bail ahead of sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on February 3. Pictured: Dures with her father

The 25-year-old described how she had been 'confident, hard working, smiley, organised and had a plan for her future' before the crash - which left her needing four six hour operations and facing two more.

'The first operation was to save my life', she said, explaining she was haemorrhaging from the artery in her arm.

'I am grieving the person I once was,' she added.

CCTV images of the night in question showed Durres's car travelling at speed to the exit of the pub car park, which made Ms Ford say 'whoa' as they turned right and headed towards the Coastal Drive at increasing speed.

Prosecutor Holly Menary said: 'She assured them she was fine to drive and would drive them to the next bar.

Megan asked if she was okay and she assured her she was and Stevie Garrity suggested getting a taxi. But she repeated she was okay.'

Ms Ford and Ms Garrity had not put their seat belts on, but an increasingly afraid Ms Ford then did so before a Fiat coming in the opposite direction crashed into them head on.

The driver of the Fiat had been passing a parked camper van and believed it was safe to overtake as the Audi was some distance away, but then realised it was making ground fast.

Despite braking as hard as she could, the collision occurred.

Dures pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving to four different women Stevie Garrity, Renee Hunt, Ria Islam, and Kiera Ord

Passers-by rushed to help, including Joseph Thurlow, who was publicly commended by the judge for his speedy first aid which saved Ms Garrity from bleeding to death.

When police arrived at the scene of the crash, Durres told officers she had not been drinking that night, despite slurring her words and having glazed-over eyes, and expressed concern for the passengers in both vehicles.

She was taken to hospital where a blood test revealed she was almost one and a half times over the drink driving limit with 114 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80mg.

Ms Garrity, whose hand and arm is in a compression bandage and splints, said she was still unable to work at the full time job she loved as business performance and planning officer with the National Autistic Society.

Ms Menary said that Ria Islam, who was the front seat passenger in the Fiat had had to have two metal rods inserted in her broken back and was in pain all over her body.

In her impact statement, Ms Islam told how she had been unable to get out of the wreckage and thought she was going to die.

Ms Findlay had injuries to her left thigh, while Ms Hunt, a student midwife, suffered a fractured spine and bleeding to her liver.

Ms Ford had tenderness to her neck and Ms Ord had a fractured right wrist which required surgery and physiotherapy.

According to court documents Dures, from Upton, who runs a skin care business, tested almost one and a half times the the alcohol limit with 'not less than' 114 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80mg

Dures's lawyer John Weate told the court that his client had been advised 'to go out and enjoy her life' after being discharged by her hospital consultant three weeks earlier after seven years of radiotherapy for a rare form of brain tumour.

'She had had a restricted social life until that point. She went out to make new friends.

She wanted to socialise and wanted to move on with her life,' he said.

Mr Weate said that she is supported by her family and friends and has done charitable work for the homeless and Alder Hey Childrens' Hospital, where she was treated for her brain tumour.

He said she pleaded guilty at the first opportunity as she had not wanted the victims 'to even have to contemplate giving evidence.'

He read a statement from the defendant who said she wanted to express her 'deepest remorse' for the accident and the pain and suffering it has caused to the victims and their families.

It said: 'Not a day has gone by since that night that I have not thought about the consequences of my actions and the ongoing suffering faced by all involved due to an error of judgement on my behalf.

'I take full responsibility and accountability for the events that unfolded that night .....On the evening of May 28 I never intentionally sent out to cause any harm however I fully recognise that my actions have had devastating consequences.

'My decision making that night was a terrible mistake and one that was completely out of character for me. I can only imagine the grief and distress that the girls and their families are experiencing and continue to experience and for that I am whole heartedly sorry.'

At a separate hearing she admitted driving with excess alcohol and was fined GBP253, ordered to pay GBP221 in costs and surcharge.

She was also banned from driving for 14 months and offered the drink drive awareness course

Dures said that her actions that night 'will weigh heavy on me for the rest of my life and this is something that I have accepted as part of my punishment.'

Mr Weate said that she was a student teacher at the time of the crash, which followed 'intoxication and bravado, maybe to impress her new friends' but has had to give up that planned career and is now a trainee pharmacist.

He told the court that she suffered two broken ribs in the crash and a fractured wrist for which she needed surgery.

She has also suffered mentally and rarely sleeps and has nightmares.

Judge David Potter jailed Dures for two years eight months and banned her from the road for 31 months, told her: 'I have no doubt you feel remorse, shame and guilty for your actions.

'You have not sought to blame anyone else for the terrible decision you, and you alone, made that night.'

At an earlier magistrates court hearing she admitted driving with excess alcohol and was fined GBP253 and ordered to pay GBP221 in costs and surcharge.

She was also banned from driving for 14 months which expires next week.

References

1. ^ FRANKIE ELLIOTT (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Brighton (www.dailymail.co.uk)