School-run mum shopped by her own daughters for drink-driving

A mother was facing prison last night after her daughters reported her for drink driving.

Tracey Cox, 43, was arrested after an anxious call to police from 21-year-old twins Emma and Helen, who had just watched her stagger out the family home and climb into her silver Mazda X5.

She had consumed a whole bottle of wine and was later found to be two and a half times the drink-drive limit.

The girls told officers how they saw her drive forwards but stall the vehicle, before starting it again and almost demolishing a wall.

Cox claimed she had gone out to the car to collect her purse.

But as the twins arrived at her trial before Barnsley magistrates yesterday prepared to give evidence against her, she changed her plea to guilty.

The drink-drive drama unfolded in mid-morning. Cox, a former bank clerk, had returned to her home in Barnsley at 9am after spending the night partying with friends.

She headed straight for her bedroom and remained there for two hours drinking wine.

Her daughters then watched in amazement as she left the house and climbed into the car.

When police arrived they found her inside the house smelling of alcohol and clearly drunk.

Pointing at the empty bottle of wine on the floor she admitted: 'Yes, I have drunk that whilst watching GMTV.'

Tip-off: Emma and Helen Cox called police to report their drunk mother

The court heard she was caught drink-driving again three weeks later following another family tip-off, this time on the way to collect her eight-year-old daughter from school.

District judge Michael Rosenberg told the mother of four that her offences were 'exceptionally serious'.

Of the first he said: 'It's a good job the car kept stalling.'

Adjourning the hearing for reports he told her that prison is an option when she is sentenced next month.

Cox told police that on the morning of the first offence she had driven from her friend's house where she had stayed overnight, and after arriving home drank a 'substantial' amount of alcohol.

But she insisted she had no intention of driving and merely went out to the car to find her purse.

The second offence again followed a family tip off, details of which were not revealed in court.

She was heading to collect her eight year old daughter in the Mazda when police pulled her over.

Her speech was slurred, she smelled of drink and she could barely walk, said prosecutor Giles Sciolti.

'In short the officer says Cox was drunk.'

She gave a positive breath test and was arrested but refused to submit to further tests at the police station.

When asked a second time for a breath sample she took a mint from her handbag and tried to put it in her mouth.

Asked a third time for a sample she replied: 'Not until I've had a mint.'

In court she admitted drink driving on April 29 and failing to provide a specimen on May 19.

Chris Peace, defending, said a bitter divorce from her third husband was at the centre of his client's troubles.

He said she had not intended to drive when she was stopped on the school-run but had woken up too late to get there in time on foot.

She is now unemployed and seeking help from Alcoholics Anonymous.

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Drinking and Driving said: 'I applaud what these girls have done. They were not only protecting their mother, they were protecting innocent people.'