Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Friday, 5th December 2008

£15 off your Waitrose shop & £500 of shopping to be won

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Drink-drive mother jailed for endangering child



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 21 August 2008
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, central Scotland, called police after seeing the youngster banging on the rear window and hearing sh
outs of "stop mummy 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 full article contains 228 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 21 August 2008 1:46 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

JayDeeTee,

21/08/2008 12:12:34
80 days? Is that all???
2

nolimits,

Kamloops BC 21/08/2008 14:16:23
#1: Yeah, I guess so. Seems as if the sherrif was not overly concerned. Theres a thing call 'reckless endangerment' that should have applied here.
3

Boston sports fan,

21/08/2008 16:51:23
Did the child protective services take the child from her? She proved she wasn't fit to parent.
4

bluehead,

edinburgh 21/08/2008 17:15:11
"let he who is without sin cast the first stone"
it would seem to me that the child will suffer long after the mother.
5

Waspy100,

21/08/2008 17:45:00
#4
Hear hear.
Very sad case.
See the "hanging brigade" are out in force again
6

Alberto.,

21/08/2008 17:49:25
Presumably the 'Passer by' who took the keys out of the car, was prosecuted by the Police for trying to steal the vehicle, interfering in a crime scene - or whatever came to mind, and ended up with a longer sentence than the main 'law breaker' - or has the Justice system and the Police, finally 'seen the light of day' regarding such matters!!
7

Jock Tamson,

Scotland, Caledonia, Alba 21/08/2008 19:52:14
If it had been the father he would probably have been named. I'm up to here with sexism in the law. Time judges had sons as well as daughters. 5 times over the limit ffs. Call that a mother. Is 80 days enough to dry that soak out?
8

JayDeeTee,

21/08/2008 21:25:10
#7. There's another story a couple of pages on about a 'twice-caught' druunk woman driver who was four times over the limit. Guess what she got? Yep, 80 days as well. There's a wee pattern developing here. Drunk man who does this gets named and shamed and thrown into jail for a harsh sentence. Drunk woman gets......80 days (of which 20 or so will be served....maybe). You are right! Sexism in the law needs serios addressing.
9

JayDeeTee,

21/08/2008 21:26:33
As does spelling mistakes....sorry!!
10

henrymanchester,

UK 21/08/2008 22:13:11
Good job Harman didn't get involved. She'd have jailed the Judge for being a man and let the woman off if she promised to only do it with sons and not daughters in the car.
11

Horrible Cankers @Cyber Shebeen,

21/08/2008 22:22:22
7...ID the mother and you ID the child...end of.
12

Robert Bell,

Rio Rancho 21/08/2008 22:40:40
I was very pleased to hear about the efforts of the other people envolved. Thank God for the person who took the keys, he/she may have saved several lives.

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.