A woman who drove off from the scene after crashing her car while driving with children in the car and twice the drink-drive limit has avoided jail.

Bridget Doran, of St Hubert’s Street, Great Harwood, was pulled over by police on August 20, 2021, on the A50 Warrington Road in Knutsford, Cheshire, in her Fiat 500.

Tests showed she had 161 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of her blood – the legal limit being 80mg per 100ml of blood.

Doran had earlier had been involved in a crash with a Volkswagen Beetle on the same road causing damage, but failed to stop at the scene.

Further checks also found the 42-year-old was disqualified from driving and and had no insurance.

Most shocking of all was that police found the drunk, banned, uninsured woman had children in the car with her at the time.

At a hearing at Tameside Magistrates' Court on March, Doran pleaded guilty to all charges and was back in court on June 7 to be sentenced.

For the offences of driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, driving while over the limit for alcohol, and failing to stop after an accident and provide details, Doran was handed an eight-week sentence, suspended for 12 months due to the severity of the offence.

The magistrates said the case was so serious a prison sentence was necessary due to Doran being twice the legal limit for alcohol, having similar previous convictions, having children in the car and failing to stop after the accident.

However, the bench chose to suspend the sentence due to Doran’s "children and family commitments".

She has also been disqualified from driving for a further 40 months (three years, four months), with the ban having started on March 28.

Over the next 12 months, Doran must undertake an alcohol treatment requirement programme for six months to resolve her alcohol dependency.

She must also take part in 25 days of rehabilitation activity requirements, and pay a £128 surcharge to fund victim services and £85 for court costs for a total amount of £213, which will be paid at £10 a week from July 5.