Mother high on cocaine who was caught driving under the influence twice in 48 hours – once with a four-year-old child in the backseat – is spared jail

A single mother was caught drink-driving twice in 48 hours – after snorting cocaine before getting behind the wheel with a four-year-old child sitting unrestrained in the backseat.

Lela Sneep, 28, tested almost eight times the legal limit for cocaine intake when she was stopped by police while driving her Renault Clio in September.

An officer observed the juvenile sitting in the back seat without a seat belt and without a booster seat before arresting the driver.

Snape was subsequently released pending further investigation, but two days later she was arrested again after retrieving her car, again after taking cocaine.

On the second occasion she was found to be more than eight times over the drug driving limit.

Crewe Magistrates Court heard Snape, from Macclesfield in Cheshire, told oThe violations were a ‘mistake’.

She claimed she had taken cocaine because she felt ‘isolated’ and has since temporarily moved back in with her mother, the court was told.

Louise Dempster, prosecuting, said: ‘On September 23 this year, at around 6.40pm, PC Price stopped the defendant while he was driving a Renault Clio on Congleton Road, Sandbach.

“It had just been sighted in the Congleton area and the reason the car was stopped because the occupants were suspected of being involved in an unrelated matter was not in court today.

“There were two adult males in the car with a four-year-old child who was not secured in a child seat or wearing a seat belt.

‘A roadside test came back positive for cocaine and the suspect was arrested and taken to East Cheshire Prison for drug driving proceedings.’

She continued: “Two days later on September 25, PC Price arranged for the suspect to stop in the same vehicle on Electra Way, Crewe.

‘The vehicle would have a mark because there was no MOT. That was the reason it was discontinued.

‘A drug wipe along the road gave a positive indication for cocaine. She was therefore arrested and transferred to custody for drug charges proceedings.

‘The defendant has no previous convictions, but the first offense was aggravated by the carriage of passengers, including a child.’

Blood tests showed that Sneep had 397 micrograms (mg) of benzoylecgonine (BZE), the breakdown product of cocaine, in her system the first time and 423 mg the second time. The legal limit is 50 mg.

Stuart Flood, speaking on behalf of Snape, said the mother had acknowledged her ‘serious lapse in judgement’ after ‘struggling with drugs’, which she had since stopped.

Mr Flood added: “She had taken friends to their home address in Crewe when she was stopped by police.

‘She had taken drugs a few days earlier and they were still in her system, but there was no evidence of poor driving.

“It involves the child not wearing a seatbelt while she was driving the vehicle. This worsened when she returned to Crewe to collect the car.

“In between, she had some medications and that’s why there were medications in her system.

“She’s very embarrassed and very ashamed of the whole situation. It’s clear that she has already learned from her mistake and wants to move on.

‘Maybe that’s why she moved in with mom temporarily for some support there. Perhaps she felt that she had been a little isolated before raising the child alone.

‘She felt a bit down at times and that may be why medication was used. A mistake was made, she knows it.

“Some mistakes were made and the fact that she recognized that and did something about it herself is a step in the right direction.”

Snape was fined £240, banned from driving for 14 months and ordered to pay £181 in costs and a surcharge.