A mother tried to drive her daughter home after downing so much alcohol that she was more than three times the legal limit.
Elaine Jones was stopped by police on the B1027 from Alresford, towards Brightlingsea, after they recieved a call from a concerned member of the public.
A court heard she told officers: "I don't care, I know I'm well over," as she was cautioned after failing a road-side breath test.
Colchester magistrates heard Jones was making her way home to Brightlingsea at 5.30pm on September 25 with her eight-year-old daughter in the back seat after drinking at a pub in Alresford.
The lowest reading at Clacton police station revealed she had 107mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs. The 42-year-old admitted drink-driving on Friday.
The court heard Jones, of Spring Chase, had another child, aged five, and had lost her job because of the offence.
Kim Kennedy, mitigating, said she had never been in trouble with the law before and had a full clean licence until now.
"She has clearly done something foolish and losing her licence will make her life very difficult because of where she lives.
"She has already lost her job and she may even lose her home over this," he said.
Mr Kennedy told the court Jones has had a "really rotten time" after losing her father recently. Magistrates gave her a year-long supervision order and banned her from the roads for two years.
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Published Monday, November 14, 2005
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