‘Spaced-out’ mum on cocktail of drugs caught driving her children
A“SPACED-OUT” mum high on a cocktail of drugs was driving with her two young children in the back of the car, a court has heard.
She was caught after concerned staff at a chemists shop rang police to report what they had seen.
A judge told the woman – who is in her 30s – that she had put her drug taking ahead of the safety of her children.
Swansea Crown Court heard that on the afternoon of January 26 this year the woman went into a pharmacy in the city with her children.
Sophie Hill, prosecuting, said staff described her as being “spaced out” – she was unsteady on her feet, and was shouting “loudly and slowly” at the youngsters.
The court heard she stumbled into a display unit at the shop, before closing the door on one of the children as she left. Staff at the chemists called police as the woman – who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children – got into her car and drove off.
The prosecutor said the mum drove a short distance to a nearby convenience shop.
Police officers then arrived, and arrested the woman. After being cautioned she told the officers she had smoked cannabis with a friend that afternoon “before I picked the kids up”.
Subsequent tests showed the mum had 315 micrograms of benzoylecgonine - the main metabolite of cocaine - per litre of blood, the legal limit being 50, some 800 micrograms of diazepam - Valium - per litre of blood, the legal limit being 550, and 2.6 grams of THC - the active ingredient in cannabis - per litre of blood, the limit being two.
The mum had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of driving with a proportion of a controlled drug about the specified limit, driving while unfit through drugs, two counts of wilfully exposing a child under 16 to risk of injury or suffering, and to possessing cannabis and Valium when she appeared in the dock for sentencing.
The court heard she has 12 previous convictions for 20 offences, including one for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent from 2013.
The woman’s children no longer live with her following intervention from social services.
Dean Pulling, for the defendant, said the woman experienced a “fractured and difficult upbringing at home and at school” which had led her into drug addiction and abusive domestic relationships.
For each of the child neglect charges the woman was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, and for each of the drug-driving charges to six weeks in prison, all the sentences to run concurrently - at the same time - making a total of 12 weeks, and all suspended for 12 months. No separate penalties were imposed for the drug possession matters. She was also banned form driving for two years.