By Staff Reporter

Published at 14:15, Wednesday, 05 December 2012

A mum of two was found unconscious with her children beside her after police were called to reports of a drunken brawl.

The 25-year-old mum was so aggressive she had to be handcuffed in hospital and was found to be three times the drink-drive limit.

Carlisle magistrates’ court heard how she had been seen arguing with another woman while holding a bottle of wine at 7.15am one Saturday morning.

The police were called by a neighbour in Currock who rang to report “two women were screaming at each other” in front of a house on August 18. When the neighbour shouted at them to say she had called police, the mother went “staggering back into the house” and the other woman left.

Prosecutor Adrienne Harris said police arrived but couldn’t get any response at the house. They could hear a child “screaming and crying”, she said, and officers got in through a ground floor window.

Once inside, they found the mum passed out at the top of the stairs, with one child beside her. The other was at the foot of the stairs.

“The mother seemed to be unconscious,” Ms Harris said.

“The police couldn’t rouse her, even when using what was described as ‘a pain technique’.”

Paramedics were called and the mum was taken to hospital where she had to be handcuffed because she was aggressive. She was given oxygen and medication to help her regain consciousness, the court heard. She was later given a breath test and found to be three times the legal limit.

Ms Harris said the woman, who admitted two counts of child neglect, told police she had been drinking wine, some vodka and a few pints. An empty wine bottle and a can and pizza box were found on the floor of the bedroom and there were a lot of nappies lying around. Defence lawyer Malcolm Dodds described it as a case of “short term neglect”. He said she was a “well education and talented lady” but had gone through some problems with alcohol.

“She now knows this is her last chance,” he said. “It has been wake up call for her.”

The mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, broke down in tears when presiding magistrate David Johnston told her she had been incapable, at the time, of looking after the children.

She was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for a year and a one-year community supervision order.

She was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £85 court costs.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk