Mum drove toddler 53 miles while twice alcohol limit after sleepover storm out

A mother was caught driving at over twice the alcohol limit as she drove her toddler 53 miles home after storming out of a sleepover party.

Stacey McDarmaid, 37, had been due to stay with friends in North Wales and was drinking wine – but she left suddenly at 11pm following an argument and decided to drive herself the the infant back to her home in Sale, near Manchester.

She was breathalysed at the roadside after her Renault Clio car broke down on the A55 in the village of Pantasaph, near Holywell – and she rang police saying she was stranded and needed help to get her car started again.

Officers arrived at the scene to find grammar school-educated McDarmaid behaving ''highly erratically'' with her child aged 21 months in the back seat and suspected she was intoxicated.

Tests showed she had 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

The child was unharmed and although social services became involved there were no issues over ongoing care of the youngster.

At Manchester magistrates court, McDarmaid admitted drink driving and being drunk in charge of a child.

She was ordered to complete a 12 month community order, 40 hours unpaid work and was banned from driving for 20 months.

She was also fined £120 with £175 in costs an surcharges which will be deducted from her Universal Credit state handouts.

The incident occurred on July 15 after McDarmaid is thought to have spent the weekend with friends.

Prosecuting Robin Lynch said: “At 11.10pm the defendant had been driving a Renault Clio along the A55 but the car broke down and she telephoned police.

''When police arrived on the scene they found the defendant in the car with her 21 month old child.


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