A WOMAN who failed to appear in court last week after being pulled over with a near fatal blood alcohol reading of more than seven times the limit has faced court after a magistrate issued a warrant for her arrest.
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The charges each carry a jail term and Magistrate Stephen Olischlager issued a warrant for Bowen's arrest.
The Herald reported on the warrant on Monday and later that day Bowen was arrested and appeared in Belmont Local Court in handcuffs on Tuesday.
She was later granted bail on a number of conditions, including not drinking alcohol or driving, and she was ordered to appear in court on May 1 to be sentenced.
Bowen was pulled over on the Pacific Highway at Gateshead about 11.15am on March 19.
After a positive roadside breath test, Bowen was arrested and taken to Belmont police station where she recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.356 - more than seven times the legal limit.
A person with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.350 has the potential to go into a coma, according to alcohol and drug experts.
Bowen's licence was suspended on the spot and she was issued a court attendance notice to appear in court on March 27.
However, when Bowen did not appear in court on that date, the magistrate made a note that the registry should notify her of her next court date - April 10.
When she failed to appear again, Magistrate Olischlager heard the matter in her absence, convicted her of all four offences and issued a warrant for her arrest.
