Mum busted with meth in her system as her kid sat in the back seat

A mum has become “very familiar with bus timetables” after testing positive to meth while driving with her four-year-old son in the car.

A woman had her four-year-old child in the car and was in the process of picking up her partner from lock-up when she was busted driving with meth in her system.

Charmaine Leanne Kember, 31 of Davoren Park, on Wednesday received a sentence for the offending after originally pleading guilty to the charge in May.

She told the court she had hoped to get legal representation but could “not afford what they were asking” and “came today to hope for the best”.

A police prosecutor told the court Kember, who returned the positive test to meth in September 2019 while driving in Port Augusta, claimed she had not recently used the drug.

Meth mum Charmaine Leanne Kember was busted driving while on meth as her kid sat in the back seat. Picture: Facebook

Kember later told the court she had been in the area because she was picking up her partner after he was let out of prison and that she had not taken drugs that day.

“I didn’t think the drugs would still be in my system, otherwise I wouldn’t have had my son in the car,” she said.

The charge of driving with meth in your system while a child under 16 is present in the car carries with it a six-month licence disqualification.

With the disqualification looming, Kember told the court she had “gotten very familiar with the bus timetables these days”.

Magistrate Justin Wickens told Kember she would need to remain familiar with them.

“You’ll be familiar for another six months at least,” he said.

Mr Wickens gave Kember a conviction, a $900 fine and disqualified her licence for the six months.