School-run mum's drink shame
A DRUNK school-run mum's behaviour was "beyond belief" after being arrested for drink driving twice in just three weeks.
Tracey Cox, aged 43, was so drunk her twin daughters called police as she climbed into her car at her South Yorkshire home because they believed she would have an accident.
And just three weeks later the mum-of-four failed to notice a police car with flashing blue lights behind her as she drove to pick up her eight-year-old daughter.
Cox failed a roadside breathalyser test but then refused to give a second sample at the police station - and instead demanded mints.
Barnsley Magistrates' Court heard that three weeks earlier on April 29 she was swaying as she climbed into her silver Mazda MX5 outside the family home on Great Broad Ing, Redbrook, Barnsley.
Her 20-year-old daughters Emma and Helen "feared the worst" and phoned the police after she stalled, restarted and drove towards the house and almost hit a wall.
Officers found she had slurred speech, glassy eyes and smelled of booze. An empty wine bottle was found in the bedroom, the court heard.
Giles Sciolti, prosecuting, said Cox was taken to Barnsley police station where she was found to be two-and-a-half times the legal limit. But she denied drink driving and insisted she had only gone out to the car to get her purse.
Mr Sciolti said three weeks later, on May 19, she was on the way to her daughter's school when she failed to stop for a police car. It was only after the flashing lights had been stopped and started again that she halted.
"Officers noticed she was unsteady and smelled strongly of alcohol," he added.
Cox was arrested after failing a roadside breathalyser test - but refused to provide a breath specimen at the station, the court heard.
Mr Sciolti said: "She crossed her arms and said, 'I will think about it'.
"When asked again if she was going to blow into the machine she took a packet of mints from her handbag and told officers, 'Not until I've had a mint'."
Eventually the machine timed out, he added. Cox admitted failing to provide a breath test.
And yesterday at the start of her trial, she changed her plea to guilty to the earlier charge of drink driving.
Judge Michael Rosenberg said: "This is an exceptionally serious offence, the daughters were so concerned at your behaviour they have called the police."
To Cox he added: "Your conduct at the police station was beyond belief. I do not rule out any sentence this court has the power to impose."
He adjourned the hearing for reports ahead of sentencing. Cox's interim driving ban was left in place and she was given unconditional bail.
Chris Peace, defending, said his client was at a "low ebb" and was going through a messy divorce. She had also come off anti-depressants just before the first incident, although she was back on them now, he added. She was also attending Alcoholics Anonymous, he said.
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