Drunk mother in a rush crashes into pub, causing £53,000 damage

A mother in a rush to reach a pub before closing time caused £53,000 worth of damage by crashing into the front of a Grade-II listed building.

Natasha Searle, 25, drove her silver BMW into the porch of a 17th-century pub, severely damaging one of the front walls. Confronted by outraged customers, she had her boyfriend pick her up before emergency services arrived, leaving her passenger to be rescued by firefighters.

Norfolk Police cordoned off the pub until early morning. Despite the damage, dedicated staff and local tradesmen managed to prepare the pub for reopening just six hours later. Searle claimed she “had to swerve” to avoid an oncoming vehicle on May 17. She was ordered to pay £2,000 to former landlord Paul Holland.

Holland’s insurance covered £51,000 of the repairs at the Wortwell Bell in Harleston, Norfolk. He noted that one of his regular customers was about to go outside and sit on the bench that was hit.

Natasha Searle, from Harleston, admitted to driving without insurance, failing to report an accident, and failing to stop after an accident. At Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed that Searle and a friend had consumed “a few drinks” at home before driving five miles to the Homersfield Black Swan on May 17.

When the Black Swan closed around 11pm, they sought another pub still serving. After a cigarette outside, they decided to try The Wortwell Bell, a five-minute drive away, with Searle driving the silver BMW. The collision occurred at 11.15pm, destroying the porch of the 17th-century pub.

Quickly reopened

A customer called 999, leading police to cordon off the pub until 5.30am, keeping the staff and Mr Holland on site until morning. Thanks to volunteers, the pub reopened at 11.50am.

In mitigation, Calvin Saker stated that Searle “felt intimidated” by angry patrons, prompting her to call her boyfriend to collect her before emergency services arrived.

Searle fled the scene, leaving her injured friend in the passenger seat, who was freed by firefighters. Mr Saker emphasised that Searle hadn’t been charged with drunk driving or careless driving, urging the court to focus on the charges presented.

He explained that Searle believed her BMW, a gift, came with insurance. Despite leaving the scene, she attempted to contact the police. Saker conveyed that Searle “accepts she had consumed some alcohol” but insisted “she wasn’t drunk,” expressing her deep remorse.

The probation service assessed Searle as “unsuitable” and “unable” to fulfil a community order due to personal circumstances.

Searle was ordered to pay court charges totalling £2,365, which included £2,000 in compensation to Paul Holland for the insurance excess he covered. She also received a 12-month driving disqualification.

Outside the courtroom, Searle expressed regret “I am really sorry this happened; it is the biggest mistake of my life. I cannot explain how deeply apologetic I am. I am just glad no one was hurt and want to put this behind me, having learned my lesson, and focus on being the best mother.”