A mother was found to be four times over the legal alcohol limit when she collected her daughter from an after-school ballet club in Newcastle. Selina Brown, 49, was spotted by staff at Benfield School as she drove her Nissan Qashqai into the car park, where she was seen clipping a fence.
Police Called After Concerns
Staff at the school reported Brown to the police due to concerns she appeared drunk. She was later breathalysed and gave a reading of 140mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - four times the legal limit of 35mcg.
Brown, of Old Buradon Farm, in Sunderland, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Newcastle Magistrates' Court and was banned from driving for three years.
Court Details
Ruth Forster, prosecuting, said staff noticed Brown driving into the school car park on June 29 and were concerned she was drunk. CCTV captured her driving into the car park and clipping a fence before parking. She then got out and went into the school to pick up her daughter from an after-school class.
Mrs Forster said: "CCTV captured her driving into the car park and clipping a fence before going into a parking space. She then gets out her vehicle and goes into the school to pick up her daughter from an after-school class. The police are called. She's fully-compliant with officers and says 'I'm sorry' when she fails a roadside breath test."
Mitigation and Sentence
Gerry Armstrong, defending, said Brown had no past convictions, had suffered two recent deaths in the family, and was recovering from falling down stairs and fracturing her skull. He added that she was a married, working mum who had been told she was being made redundant on the day of the offence.
Mr Armstrong said: "She is a married, working mum. On this day, she was off work and was told she was being made redundant. She decided to have a drink then her daughter needed picking up from ballet. Since this, she has been to the doctor and they have made various referrals. She is no longer drinking and no longer driving. She is being supported by her family."
Because of the steps Brown had taken to get help, magistrates felt there was nothing the Probation Service could offer her. Instead, she was fined £480 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £192 victim surcharge.
