Amanda Mealing, 57, who played cardio thoracic consultant Connie Beauchamp in the hit BBC shows, has admitted drug driving after she collided with a Skoda at 10.14am
A Casualty and Holby City star crashed into a nurse’s Skoda while high on drugs in the early morning.
Amanda Mealing pleaded guilty to drug driving after she careered into Mark Le Sage’s car at 10.14am – leaving him seriously injured.
The court heard how Mealing, known for her role as cardio thoracic consultant Connie Beauchamp in the popular series, veered across the road before colliding Mr Le Sage as he was on his way to work.
Prosecutor Marie Stace told the court that Mealing, 57, who appeared under her married name of Amanda Sainsbury, sustained a cut to the head, a broken wrist and a broken clavicle in the accident which took place in January 2024.
The court also heard how the BBC star 18mcg of cocaine in her blood, with the legal limit being 10mcg. Mealing admitted to driving under the influence of cocaine and driving without due care and attention.
The actress has been banned from driving for 22 months and orders to pay £485 in fines.
The court also found that Mealing was also in excess of 240mcg of benzoylecgonine, which is the chemical that cocaine leaves after being metabolised in the body. This is almost five times over the legal limit of 50mcg.
Le Sage described hearing ‘an explosion’ and felt his car starting ‘to spin’. His Skoda was hit by Mealing’s Mini Cooper on the A1175 at Hope Pole, near Stamford in Lincolnshire.
Prosecutor Ms Stace revealed: ‘He started to panic, the car was full of smoke and he couldn’t get out because his foot was stuck under the pedal. He did manage to escape and a paramedic who assessed him said he needed to go to hospital. There was a witness following the Mini, who said he assumed there was something in the road because it went onto the other side of the carriageway.
In a police interview, Mealing confessed to taking cocaine the night before, according to Ms Stace. Le Sage, in a victim impact statement read out in court, stated that his fine motor skills have been seriously affected, preventing him from continuing his job as a theatre nurse.
Mealing’s solicitor, Mr Edward Lloyd, told the court that the defendant does not accept Le Sage’s account of his injuries, stating he wasn’t taken to hospital by ambulance, and there is no evidence of that level of injury. Mr Lloyd said: “In terms of the offence, my client pleaded guilty to drug driving at the very first opportunity.
“It’s something she’s deeply ashamed of. She’s not somebody who takes drugs at all. Her brother died of a drugs overdose when he was 18 and she says herself that she should have known better.”
In 2021, Mealing reflected on the loss of her 32-year-old sibling due to substance abuse. She said of her adoptive brother: “He was 14 years younger than me, but we were incredibly close.”
Speaking to The Times, she added: “I think he had dabbled in drugs as a teenager. But it was just an accident. It was a real tragedy for everyone and, yes, it did influence me. It reminded me that life can be short and I thought there’s no point sitting around. Go out and live each day.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
