A MOTHER whose child raised the alarm when she was drunk behind the wheel was jailed for 80 days today.
The 35-year-old was caught driving at more than five times over the alcohol limit with her five-year-old child in the car.
A passer-by in Falkirk, called police after seeing the youngster banging on the rear window and hearing shouts of "stop mumm
y driving".
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted two road offences and a charge of endangering a child following the incident in July.
She was sentenced to 80 days in jail at Falkirk Sheriff Court today.
The court heard how the concerned passer-by shouted at the woman to stop but she continued driving erratically, mounting the pavement and hitting a fence.
She was then spotted leaving the car by a witness who said her speech was slurred.
The court heard that the mother attempted to get back into the car but one of the passers-by took the keys from the ignition.
Sheriff William Gilchrist, who banned the woman from driving for three years, said she had committed "a very serious offence".
He said: "It endangered yourself and members of the public. It's maybe even worse however, that you had your five-year-old child in the car."
The woman's solicitor Kevin Douglas said she had a serious drink problem.
He told the court: "She has very little recollection of what happened that day.
"She is ashamed of herself and upset about what happened.
"She realises the consequences of her actions and that she should never have driven in that state, particularly with a child in the back of the car."
The solicitor said his client was attempting to seek help for her drink problem and the child was being cared for by relatives.
He said: "She appreciates that she's going to have to get some help for this, because if not it's going to kill her."
Sheriff Gilchrist said that several previous detox programmes had had little effect however.
He said that custody was the only appropriate sentence given the gravity of the offence and the fact that the woman was unsuitable for community service.
She was sentenced to 80 days for endangering a child and 30 days for drink-driving following the incident on July 27.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
The woman was admonished on a third charge of failing to provide police with the identity of the driver.
The full article contains 423 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
