A MUM was so high on cocaine during a school run that other parents had to take her car keys and walk her kids to class.
Hayley Berry, 36, was described as being completely “out of it” when driving her youngest children to school in Broadstairs, Kent, last November.
Hayley Berry, 36, was over the legal-limit for a cocaine byproduct when driving her kids to school last November[/caption]
She was banned from driving for two-and-a-half-years at Margate Magistrates’ Court[/caption]
One magistrate told the mum her actions were “one of the worst examples of drug-driving” he had ever seen as she was banned from driving for two-and-a-half years.
Parents became concerned after Berry suddenly stopped her Ford C-Max in the middle of the street in the coastal Kent town on November 11.
A stranger took her keys while other mums quickly stepped in to walk her kids the rest of the way to school, reports KentOnline.
Police were informed and Berry was later arrested at the scene before being charged.
When she appeared before magistrates in Margate on March 7, Berry admitted drug-driving and driving while unfit through drugs.
A test of Berry’s blood found a reading of 83 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre, the court was told.
The legal limit for the cocaine byproduct’s presence in blood is just 50 micrograms per litre.
Magistrates also heard Berry had GHB in her system – a drug which has sedative and anaesthetic effects.
Despite it showing up on the day she was arrested, Berry had not been over the limit for the substance.
Lucie Fish, prosecuting, told the court how Berry had stopped her car in the middle of the street while carrying her children last year.
She explained how a man grabbed the intoxicated mum’s keys after putting his hand up to stop her.
Some women then walked Berry’s kids to school as Berry “wasn’t in a fit state”, Fish added.
Nigel Numas, defending, read out a reference from Berry’s cocaine sponsor who said the mum had made some personal growth over the two years he had known her.
Berry was said to be making better choices in her life and took full responsibility for her actions in the reference.
It added the mum had genuine remorse for her actions and that she was determined to rebuild her life.
Numas also explained that the man she had been seeing had given her what Berry believed was a legal high but was in-fact GHB.
He said Berry was “naive” for drinking the substance unknowingly but that she was also “making great strides” towards beating her addiction.
‘I DON’T WANT TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED’
Berry was jailed for eight weeks by magistrates but her term has been suspended for 12 months.
She has also been ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
The chairman of the bench said: “I must say this is one of the worst examples of drug-driving I’ve come across.
“You had your youngest children in the back of the car and you were out of it.
“I don’t want to think what could have happened.”
Berry has also been disqualified from driving for 30 months and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 on top of court costs of £85.
She will pay what she owes the court at a rate of £20 a month, however, as she is currently on Universal Credit.
Berry received an eight week jail sentence suspended for 12 months[/caption]
