A drug -driving mother was so high on cocaine on the school run that shocked parents had to intervene by taking her car keys and walking her children to class, a court heard.
Hayley Berry, 36, aroused concern from co-parents after she had stopped her Ford C-Max in the middle of Grosvenor Road in Broadstairs, Kent, while she tried to drop her children at school last year.
The mother was told by a magistrate that it was “one of the worst examples of drug driving” he had ever seen.
A strange – afraid that she was not in a fit state to drive – took her keys while others walked her children the rest of the way to their school was heard.
The police were then informed and Berry was arrested on the spot and later charged.
Berry, Van Roseberry Avenue, Ramsgate, admitted that drugs are driving and driving while she was unsuitable by drugs when she appeared in Margate for magistrates on 7 March.
The court was told that when her blood was tested, she gave a lecture of 83 micrograms of the cocaine by -product Benzoylecgonin per liter of blood – while the legal limit is 50.
Magistrates heard that she also had GHB – a medicine with calming and anesthetic effects – in her system on the day she was arrested but had not been the limit for that substance.
Hayley Berry (photo), 36, was told by a magistrate that it was 'one of the worst examples of drug companies' he had ever seen
Lucie Fish, persecution, said that the Berry court had stopped her children in the middle of the road on November 11 last year.
Mrs Fish said: 'A man took the keys because she looked like she was not in a fit state [to drive].
“He put his hand up and stopped her and took the keys, but then she parked and some women walked the children to school.”
Nigel Numas, defensive, read a reference for Berry's cocaine sponsor who said the mother had made some personal growth in the 24 months she had known her.
The reference said she now made better choices in her life, took full responsibility for her actions, really regretted and it was determined to rebuild her life.
Mr. Numas added: 'The process [of her trying to beat cocaine] Is going on for a few years, but a man she saw gave her what she thought was a legal high and she drank it and did not know it was GHB.
'She had two falling back [in the 24 months] So she takes big steps, but she was naive about what she drank. '
Berry, Van Roseberry Avenue, Ramsgate, admitted that drugs are driving and driving while she was unsuitable by drugs when she appeared in Margate for magistrates in Margate on 7 March
Magistrates have imprisoned for eight weeks in prison, but the period was suspended for 12 months. She was also instructed to do 100 hours of unpaid work.
The chairman of the bank said: 'I have to say that this is one of the worst examples of drugs that I have encountered.
'You had your youngest children in the back of the car and you were outside.
“I don't want to think what could have happened.”
Berry was also disqualified to drive for 30 months and ordered a victim to pay a surcharge of £ 154 and £ 85 court costs.
She will pay what she owes the court with a rate of £ 20 a month because she is on Universal Credit.
