Sarah Jeannie Bowes: Karloo woman accused of stabbing husband with kitchen knife guilty of drink-driving

A woman who allegedly stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife because he wouldn’t let her drive the car while she was intoxicated has been disqualified from driving. Sarah Jeannie Bowes, 37, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle in the Geraldton Magistrates Court on Thursday. She received the minimum disqualification period of 10 months and a $1700 fine. Bowes is yet to enter pleas to aggravated unlawful wounding. The court was previously told that on November 20 Bowes and her partner began arguing when he wouldn’t give her the keys because he knew Bowes had been drinking. Police prosecutor Sgt Paul White previously told the court that Bowes allegedly went inside and took a 20-25cm bladed kitchen knife and in a single motion raised the knife and plunged it into the left side of her husband’s chest. This week, the court was told that after the alleged stabbing Bowes was driving on Abraham Street just before 11am when she was stopped by police. A breath alcohol test returned a positive reading of 0.189 — almost four times the legal limit. Defence counsel Julie Gray said Bowes had been drinking red wine the night before and needed to attend a counselling appointment at headspace. Magistrate Kelly Thompson took into account that it was Bowes’ first offence but noted it was a high reading, particularly given she had slept before getting behind the wheel. “The reading is so high you shouldn’t have been driving,” she said. Bowes is next due to appear in the Geraldton Magistrates Court on March 18 for negotiations. Her bail was extended.