A MOTHER-of-two who was four times over the drink-drive limit crashed her car as she drove with her young son through a town centre.

Joanne Taylor, 34, was breathalysed at the scene of the crash and produced a reading of 127 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 30 micrograms.

Taylor crashed her Volkswagen Scirroco into another car on East Bridge Street, in Crook, County Durham, on Saturday, April 7, while she also had one of her children in the car with her.

No one was injured in the crash, however police arrested Taylor who said she feels “ashamed and mortified” over the incident.

The 34-year-old, who travels regularly around south-west Durham in a senior managerial role, pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drink in Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Her solicitor, John Turner, said: “She’s never been in trouble with the police. She was ashamed and mortified by what she has done and has been visibly shaken by when she’s spoken about it.

“The experience of being arrested and taken to the police station has already been a punishment for her.

“You may be asking, how on earth does a lady of 34 years of age with that sort of background end up in this situation.

“She was in a long-term relationship which broke up last year and the history of that relationship was not good. She sought counselling at that time, but found herself looking after two children and her finances slipped askew.”

The court also heard how Taylor acts as the sole carer for her father who she takes to appointments regularly and also travels with him to London twice a year to see a specialist.

Mr Turner added: “It’s a measure of this lady that the remorse she indicated was for her father, not for herself, but also for her children.

“She’s 'mum’s taxi' and has little assistance beyond her own means. It’s not an exaggeration to say the loss of her licence will be disastrous.”

Magistrates addressed Taylor, of County Durham, and told her her sentence had been aggravated by the presence of her child in the car and that she caused a crash.

She was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, and banned from driving for two years and half years.