A mum who downed two litres of wine was caught driving with her two young children in her car.
Sharon Scott, 40, was spotted ‘staggering’ to her black Vauxhall Zafira and then getting behind the wheel during rush hour, a court heard.
Witnesses called police and she was found to be almost three times over the drink-drive limit.
But she walked free from court after magistrates heard she had turned to drink after struggling to cope with the death of her parents.
Scott, of Black Road, Macclesfield, said she had been visiting her ex-husband and mother-in-law with her two young children – aged five and nine.
Officers stopped Scott outside her home and she initially claimed she had been drinking AFTER driving.
But she went on to admit having drunk two litres of white wine – equivalent to about two and a half bottles.
She was found to have 100 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
Scott pleaded guilty to drink driving at Macclesfield Magistrates Court and was banned from the road for two years.
Simon Pover, prosecuting, said: "This lady was seen to park her car up. She was observed by witnesses who noted she was with her two children and appeared to be staggering about before getting into the car and driving off."
John Gallagher, defending, said: "It’s quite a big reading, aggravated because children were in the car but it is a prompt guilty plea from somebody who has got no previous convictions."
Rosemary Pike, chairman of the bench, told her: "You had children in the car and you were driving in rush hour – these we find are aggravating factors. This offence was committed intentionally and there was a risk to your children as passengers and to all other road users.
"You have shown remorse and you did co-operate with police."
Scott was also given a 12-month community order.
