Villager who defied police who tried to stop her while driving convicted of drink driving

A villager who called police to report a man’s unwanted advances at a local restaurant has been convicted of drink-driving as a result of that night out on the town.

Leslie Gwyn McClure, 49, of the Village of Palo Alto, pleaded no contest to a DUI charge in Lake County Court earlier this month. She was placed on probation for a year, will lose her driver’s license for six months and was ordered to undergo an alcohol abuse evaluation.

McClure was at the Ramshackle Café in Leesburg on May 23 when she called 911 to report a “possible sexual disturbance,” according to a Leesburg Police arrest report.

A second call came in at about the same time. That call came from Ramshackle Cafe staff requesting that McClure be removed from the restaurant. When officers arrived on scene, they found McClure in the driver’s seat of her Nissan SUV. The vehicle was moving.

The New Jersey resident told police she was at the bar when a man offered to buy her a drink, while a “buy one, get one free” beer was offered. They started drinking together, but McClure felt “uncomfortable” when the man made “inappropriate comments.” She told the man she was going to the bathroom and then called 911. She told the dispatcher the situation was “unsafe.”

Rickety staffers told police that McClure probably drank three beers while sitting at the bar. Officers spoke with McClure and it became increasingly apparent that she was intoxicated.

She was told to get a ride or call a taxi and that she was unable to drive. She was told she could lock her car but not drive it.

McClure became “argumentative and uncooperative.” She got into her SUV, started the engine and tried to drive away. An officer opened the door of the vehicle, turned off the engine and removed McClure.

She refused to participate in field sobriety exercises and would not provide a breath sample. She said she wanted a lawyer.