Boozy driver caught with child in car in South Normanton

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday how Sophie Dawson, 26, had been spotted driving erratically along the A38 and had collided with a van before she was approached by police in South Normanton.

Prosecuting solicitor Mark Kennedy said: “A witness was a passenger in her husband’s car driving on the A38 when she saw the defendant driving erratically and contacted police.

“Her husband followed the defendant.

“The defendant’s driving became worse and she collided with a van at Junction 29A of the M1 and she was followed into McDonald’s carpark near the McArthurGlen Outlet at South Normanton.”

Dawson went into the McDonald’s restaurant with a man from a nearby parked car and left her child in her own vehicle, according to Mr Kennedy.

Police attended the car park and Dawson recorded 86microgrammes of alcohol in 100milliltres of breath during a test at the police station when the drink-drive limit is 35microgrammes.

The defendant, of Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, told police she had been drinking with friends and had collected her daughter from school and had walked home but got in the car and intended to drop off her five-year-old with her dad.

Dawson, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving, accepted that she has a drink problem.

She pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol drink-drive limit and pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a child after the incident in January. Defence solicitor Richard Lees said Dawson’s mother had been killed in an accidental fire and she has been struggling. Magistrates adjourned the case until March 8 for sentencing.