Mum drove two kids home in uninsured 4×4 nearly three times the limit

Mother, 41, who drove two children aged five and nine home in uninsured Audi 4×4 while nearly three times the limit admits drink driving

• Mother Rhian Hughes, 41, drove two children home in uninsured 4×4 while drunk
• She failed blood test after being pulled over for ‘tailgating’ special constable
• Hughes, from Winsford, Cheshire, was drinking wine but had nothing to eat
• She admitted drink driving and could face prison time of up to six months 

A mother who drove her uninsured Audi 4×4 whilst almost three times the alcohol limit as she took two young children home from a ladies is facing prison after admitting drink driving today.

Rhian Hughes, 41, failed a blood test after she was said to have become argumentative with officers when she was pulled over for ‘tailgating’ an off-duty special constable.

Earlier Hughes, from Winsford, Cheshire was drinking wine at a daytime function but had nothing to eat before agreeing to collect one of her own children and the child of a family friend in her Audi Q3 TDI SE vehicle.

Tests showed she had 224 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of blood in her system. The legal limit in blood is 80mg. Further inquiries revealed insurance on the vehicle had lapsed in the run up to the incident.

Mother Rhian Hughes (pictured), 41 from Cheshire, who drove her uninsured Audi 4×4 whilst almost three times the alcohol limit as she took two young children home from a ladies is facing prison after admitting drink driving today

At Crewe magistrates’ court, Hughes admitted drink driving, driving without insurance and being drunk and disorderly. She will sentenced later but could face up to six months jail.

The incident occurred at 3pm on July 9 last year after Hughes was seen driving erratically along the A50 in Holmes Chapel.

Leanne Gallagher, prosecuting, said: ‘An off-duty special constable said that as he was driving his vehicle he was tailgated by the driver of an Audi Q3 was also swerving over the road behind him.

‘He stopped his car and got out to confront the driver and saw that she was heavily intoxicated. She also had two children in the back of the vehicle.

‘Officers were called and arrived. They stated that the defendant was slurring her words, she was unsteady of her feet, her eyes were glazed, and she smelt of alcohol. A roadside breath test was undertaken which was positive.

‘While at the roadside, she became volatile and argumentative with the officers. She was clearly drunk and acting disorderly, swearing and stumbling around. Clearly, she wasn’t fit to drive a motor vehicle which was also not insured and she was taken into custody where she provided a blood sample.

At Crewe magistrates’ court today, Hughes (pictured) admitted drink driving, driving without insurance and being drunk and disorderly

The court heard that Hughes had one previous conviction from 2019 for being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol for which she was fined.

Miss Gallagher emphasised that in relation to the sentencing guidelines she was ‘well over the limit’ and there were ‘two children in the vehicle at the time’.

Solicitor Lesley Barnett, representing Hughes, said she had been out with her friend the day before when they had a drink. On the day of the offence itself she had taken one of her children to an event with a friend, who also took her child. The children were aged five and nine.

‘She had a couple of drinks while there but unfortunately she had nothing to eat,’ Miss Barnett said, ‘The friend left her child with her and she went off in her own car. Ms Hughes felt fine to drive. She put the children in the car and started to head home.

‘In a very short period of time she started to feel extremely tired. She described waiting in a long line of traffic. She was waiting to get around a roundabout where she was going to pull over and call her friend because she was feeling unwell.

‘At that time she was approached by the officer as you have heard. She was upset. It was an extremely hot day. She was asking if she could leave the car running with the air conditioning on for the children but she was told she couldn’t.

‘The children got out of the car in the sunlight. Again, she asked if they could be taken into the shade. She was angry. She accepts that she retaliated against the police and accepts she should not have done that and should not have caused a scene at the road-side.

‘She was taken to the police station where she underwent the blood testing procedure – hence the period of time it has taken to come before the court.

‘In terms of the car insurance. The car was initially properly insured but she was emailed by the insurance company asking her to provide a copy of her no-claims bonus. She had not realised it had gone into her junk mail. The insurance company then cancelled the policy. She had not been sent a letter in the post. She had no knowledge of it going into her junk mail.

‘She does of course have to accept that on the day in question she was not insured.’

Hughes was drinking wine at a daytime function but had nothing to eat before agreeing to collect one of her own children and the child of a family friend in her Audi Q3 TDI SE vehicle (stock photo of an Audi Q3)

Telling the court that Hughes lives with her partner and children and works four days a week, Miss Barnett said that since the incident social services had investigated her and her children but assessed there were no ongoing issues.

The solicitor said Hughes had also undertaken a course that helps people understand the effects of alcohol and its safe consumption. Saying that the course was similar to what the probation service would likely provide as part of a community order, Miss Barnett asked the magistrates to consider a fine instead of a community order with rehabilitation activity days.

She said that unpaid work might also be unsuitable due to her work and family commitments,

‘In the circumstances, if you felt that she had already done the rehabilitative aspect of what would be a community penalty, I wonder if you would deal with this by way of a fine as an alternative to assist with the punishment element,’ Miss Barnett said, ‘She does not have issues with alcohol. She drinks at weekends and social events. She has benefited from the course.’

Miss Barnett added that Hughes will be inconvenienced by the obligatory driving disqualification as she would have to use public transport to get to her workplace in Knutsford via Northwich.

JPs adjourned for probation reports until January 24 and imposed an interim driving ban.

Chairman Mrs Annie Walford said: ‘The bench feels it needs to know more about you and this offence before you are sentenced.

‘The best way to do this is by the probation service doing a report.’

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