BBC Casualty star, 57, banned from driving for 22 months after taking cocaine before horror crash
Former Casualty and Holby City actress Amanda Mealing has been banned from driving for 22 months after testing positive for cocaine following a car crash.
The 57-year-old, who appeared in court under her married name Amanda Sainsbury, was involved in a three-vehicle collision on the A1175 near Hop Pole, Lincolnshire, in January last year.
Mealing, who played cardiothoracic consultant Connie Beauchamp in the BBC dramas, was found to be almost five times over the legal limit for benzoylecgonine, a chemical produced when the body processes cocaine.
The court heard Mealing drifted across the road in her Mini Cooper shortly after 10am, crashing into Mark Le Sage’s vehicle as he was driving to work.
Prosecutor Marie Stace said Mr Le Sage recalled “an explosion and his car began to spin” following the impact.
“He started to panic, the car was full of smoke and he couldn’t get out because his foot was stuck under the pedal,” Ms Stace told the court.
A witness following Mealing’s Mini said they “assumed there was something in the road” when her vehicle veered onto the opposite carriageway.
At Boston Magistrates’ Court on March 14, Mealing pleaded guilty to being over the drug-driving limit and driving without due care and attention.
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Tests showed she had 18 micrograms of cocaine in her blood, almost twice the legal limit of 10 micrograms.
She was banned from driving for 22 months and fined £485, with an additional £400 in court costs and a surcharge of £194.
Mealing suffered a cut to the head, a broken wrist and a broken collarbone in the collision.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Le Sage said he could no longer continue his job as a theatre nurse because his fine motor skills had been severely affected.
The nurse and district councillor also said he was unable to enjoy his hobbies as a keyboard player in a local band and could no longer play water polo.
He described ongoing problems with his sight and hearing, suffering constant pain in his legs, neck, shoulder, back and hip.
Mr Le Sage also experiences flashbacks and nightmares about the crash.
Edward Lloyd, representing Mealing, told the court she was “deeply ashamed” of the incident.
“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,” he said.
The court heard Mealing had recently lost her father, best friend and dog, and was going through divorce proceedings.
Paramedics at the scene believed she might have been having a hypoglycaemic attack as her blood glucose levels were very low.
She is currently receiving a “token salary” of £935 a month from her employer.
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Le Sage said: “I’m glad it’s over for my family and I’m so lucky and grateful for their support over what has been a very difficult time.”
“I hope the Sainsbury family can now also get on with their lives,” he added.
The court said there was no need for a compensation order as this was a matter for insurance companies to deal with.
Mealing left Casualty in March 2021 after seven years on the popular BBC medical drama.