A mum left her kids in bed home alone to drive her mate home while drunk, leading to a police chase where she tried to disguise herself with 'anti-vandal' grease.
Magen Hendry, 28, had been drinking before she left her front door slightly open while her children slept at 3am on October 25, 2019. One of the sleeping children was pre-school age while the other was primary school age.
Teesside Crown Court heard how police spotted Hendry's black Audi A9 drive dangerously on Nelson Terrace in Stockton. Prosecutor Uzma Khas said the car had no lights on and was seen driving through red light at a junction on two occasions, Teesside Live reports.
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Ms Khan added that while police following Hendry lost sight of the vehicle, it was picked up by CCTV abandoned in a car park while Hendry was seen crouching behind a wall. She was found covered in grease in a bid to hide from police while her bare feet were bleeding.
The court heard that Hendry attempted to run away from police but was arrested after a short chase. She told officers that she was decorating at home with a friend until agreeing to give her a lift home, saying: "I wouldn't say it was dangerous driving but by the time I went through the red lights it was too late to stop."
Hendry also admitted to leaving her two children at home unattended with police finding Hendry's oldest child at home crying for her mother. Ms Khan added: "She had woken up, realised that her mother was not present. She'd got upset, she was crying and when the police arrived the youngest child was also crying."
Hendry, of Pottery Wharf in Thornaby, pleaded guilty to two counts of child neglect and one count of dangerous driving. Tabitha Buck, defending, said that social services had become involved since the incident and a probation report revealed that Hendry turned to alcohol to cope with a crisis in her life.
Judge Howard Crowson told Hendry that she had been "careless about the welfare of your children and of other drivers on the road." He handed her a two- year supervision order and an 18-month driving ban.
Hendry informed the judge that there is no school bus and a taxi for her children to school was £7 each both ways, however, the judge warned her that if she drove while under the ban, she will face a potential prison sentence.
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