A WOMAN who fell out with her sister after a night out drove to the end of the road with her children in the back seat when she was over the limit, magistrates heard.

Valerie Barbara Newman, 38, of Brackley, Northampton pleaded guilty before Swindon court last Wednesday (jun 30) to driving her Renault Scenic at Colerne on June 4 when her alcohol/breath level was 60 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35 mcg.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, told the court Ms Newman and her sister had been drinking in Bath. Later, at the sister’s house, they argued and Newman packed up the car and her children, aged nine and 10, before driving to the end of the road.

She was about to park up but her son said he had left his X-box behind so Newman drove back, where her sister tried to take the car keys away from her, without success, so she called the police.

The police found Newman in the driver’s seats and the children in the back. Newman told them it was her intention to sleep in the car with the children until morning.

Ben Worthington, defending, told the court Newman and her sister had become separated during the night out in Bath and Newman had taken a taxi back to Colerne and gone to bed.

When the sister came back there was an argument and Newman was asked to leave.

Chairman of the bench Jane Flew told Newman: “You made a bad decision that night, driving with the children in the car with nearly double the alcohol limit.”

Newman was fined £427, disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £42 and a contribution towards court costs of £85.

She was told that if she successfully completed a drink-drive rehabilitation course the period of disqualification would be reduced by 19 weeks.