Drunk Injune mum almost hits kids on street with quad bike

A Injune mum fronted court after she almost hit two children while driving a quad bike while drunk.

Police lights on the top of a police car, Monday, August 29, 2016.

The Roma Magistrate Court heard a mother of two committed crimes while drunk on two separate occasions, the most serious involving too much alcohol and the dangerous operation of a quad bike.

At the Roma Courthouse on Wednesday, June 2, Ashleigh Lorraine Alexander pleaded guilty to two charges, the dangerous operation of a vehicle, and obstructing a police officer.

Police prosecutor Heather Whiting said at a house party on February 20, the mum had been drinking before she decided to ride an off-road quad bike on nearby residential streets.

“She turned down Fifth Avenue, police were provided with information of reports of two small children on that street… on bicycles when (she) had driven the motorcycle towards them,” she said.

“They had to seek refuge in a nearby driveway so as to not be hit.”

When questioned, Sergeant Whiting said Alexander told officers she remembered riding the quad bike, although the only children she saw had been in a front yard without bikes.

The other drunken incident which brought the 32-year-old before court, Sergeant Whiting said occurred on May 9.

“Injune police were called to a disturbance involving the defendant,” she said.

The court heard Alexander had been asked to leave an Annandale Street residence and stay at a friend’s house, although she wrapped her arms around a porch pole refusing - forcing police to remove her.

Sergeant Whiting said police calmed the mum down and agreed she could go back inside to find her phone before leaving, although tensions rose when it couldn’t be found.

“She became aggressive towards police… picked up a steel frame kitchen chair and held it in the direction of police… attempting to use the chair,” she said.

After using reasonable force to remove the chair, Sergeant Whiting said the patient officers had no other option but to arrest the mum.

Alexander’s solicitor Leslie Reed told the court the mum had just been trying to put the chair outside as it was outdoor furniture and shouldn’t have been inside the home.

Ms Reed said in regards to the dangerous driving, the unemployed woman was extremely remorseful, especially if she had scared the children.

Magistrate Peter Saggers told Alexander the fact she couldn’t remember seeing the children on the road was concerning, and she was lucky it didn’t end up being a serious tragedy reported on the six o’clock news.

“Alcohol has gotten you in trouble twice now – you need to address that,” Magistrate Saggers said.

Alexander was placed on a probation order for 12 months and disqualified from driving for six months.

When asked to hand over her license to Sergeant Whiting, the court heard Alexander had never held a license.

Convictions had been recorded.