Single mother, 34, banned from roads after being caught drink-driving

Single mother, 34, is banned from the roads after being caught drink-driving while celebrating rare night out away from her three-year-old daughter

• Kay Ruscoe, 34, was more than twice drink drive limit when she crashed her car
• Police spotted her shooting over a junction, mounting the kerb and colliding 
• At Wirral Magistrates Court, Ruscoe was banned from driving for 22 months

A nursery nurse has been banned from the roads for almost two years after she was caught drink-driving whilst celebrating a rare evening away without her young daughter.

Kay Ruscoe, 34, tested more than twice the alcohol limit after she lost control of her Vauxhall Astra as she travelled to a friend’s home following a 60th birthday party.

Ruscoe, of Prenton in Birkenhead, Merseyside had earlier arranged childcare for her three-year-old girl in one of her first nights out in months but drank heavily at the bash before being invited to the friend’s home.

Police spotted her driving over a junction, mounting the kerb and nearly colliding with a fence.

At Wirral magistrates court she admitted driving with excess alcohol and was banned from driving for 22 months.

Kay Ruscoe 34, was over twice the alcohol limit when she crashed her Vauxhall Astra in Birkenhead, Merseyside

Leanne Gallagher, prosecuting, said: ‘On October 8, at approximately 10.20pm officers were in a uniformed vehicle parked on Church Road [in Birkenhead, Merseyside].

‘The officers became aware of a vehicle traveling at speed and revving its engine. The driver then hit the brakes and overshot a junction at Downham Road. The car then mounted the pavement, nearly going through some fencing.

‘The vehicle was identified as a Vauxhall Astra driven by the defendant.

‘The officers followed the vehicle down Downham Road and continued to follow this manner of driving. It then turned into Parkside Road and then into Southwick Road.

‘It then suddenly turned left into a small car park.

‘It was parked at an angle and not in a bay. An officer approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and spoke to the defendant.

‘The officer could immediately smell alcohol coming from her breath and she was asked to turn off the vehicle’s engine.

At Wirral magistrates Court, Ruscoe was banned from driving for 22 months after pleading guilty to being over the drink drive limit

‘The officers suspected that she was unfit to drive. She was therefore conveyed to the Belle Vale custody suite for breath tests. The lowest reading was 89 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35mg.

‘She is of previous good character, she has no previous convictions.’

In mitigation Ruscoe’s lawyer Chris McMaster said: ‘She is thoroughly ashamed of what she did. She has lost her good character. She has never previously troubled the courts. She is a young mother, with a three-year-old daughter.

‘Her and the three-year-old daughter live together, just the two of them.

‘On this particular night, she was going to a 60th birthday party and she had arranged some childcare.

‘It was one of the few nights out she had had for some time.

‘After going to the party, she went home and was invited to another friend’s house. She was driving from Prenton to Rock Ferry. It was a 10-minute drive at the most.

‘She decided to drive to the friend’s house after having had a couple of drinks at the birthday party.

‘She was over the limit.

In mitigation Ruscoe’s lawyer Chris McMaster said: ‘She is thoroughly ashamed of what she did. She has lost her good character. She has never previously troubled the courts. She is a young mother, with a three-year-old daughter’

‘When stopped she said she should not have done it. She used a swear word as well because she was ashamed of what she had done. It was completely out of character.’

Mr McMaster told the court that Ruscoe works part time at a nursery which her daughter attends.

The solicitor added: ‘She is aware that she will inevitably lose her driving licence which will cause her difficulties with childcare and other matters, but she will have to make arrangements. She will have to manage.

‘I ask that you limit the disqualification because of her hitherto good character, and she has pleaded guilty.

‘She is a working mother. She hopes to never return to the courts.’

Ruscoe was also fined £120 and was ordered to pay £168 in costs and victim surcharge.

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