Drunk mum caught driving after downing wine then claimed she had ‘separation anxiety’

17.03.2022 - 17:19 / dailyrecord.co.uk

A drink-driving mother tried to blame her crime on 'separation anxiety' from her 12-month-old son after she was caught behind the wheel by police.

Elizabeth Prince, a mum-of-two, claimed she only drove her Fiat 500 whilst under the influence at 1am because she was triggered by the sounds of her crying child whom she had left with her gran.

The 29-year-old businesswoman had been boozing wine on a night out with her personal assistant when police stopped her car when an officer saw her driving at speed and 'weaving' across the dual carriageway, and juddering as if it was in the wrong gear.

Prince was apparently slurring her words when police interacted with her and she smelt of alcohol. A breathalyser test revealed the mum was driving with 51 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

At Tameside magistrates court, Prince, from Kearsley near Bolton, Greater Manchester, who runs a tattoo parlour admitted drink driving but asked to be spared disqualification due to “special reasons.” JPs refused and banned her from driving for 14 months.

The incident occurred on January 31 last year during lockdown after Prince had asked her mother to look after her baby whilst she met her PA who was in her “social bubble.”

During the evening at the PA’s house the pair drank wine but trouble began when Prince who also has a daughter aged nine fielded a phone call from her mother Joanne who said she was struggling to get the baby settled.

Prince told the hearing: “When he cries, that is my trigger and I cannot be apart from him. I had been in a violent and abusive relationship and the violence took place in the presence of both of my children and I was in between it all.

“As a result of that, it caused me to