Newcastle mum caught drink driving before picking her child up from school cops fine and loss of licence

Newcastle mum of two Katrina Baker has been fined a thousand dollars and disqualified from driving for seven months after being caught drunk behind the wheel picking her daughter up from school in Wallsend.

Katrina Baker (right) leaving Newcastle court.

A Newcastle mother, caught nearly six times the legal limit on her way to pick up her nine-year-old daughter from school, has copped a hefty fine and been disqualified from driving for seven months.

Katrina Baker, 40, lost control of her Mazda two on Boscawen Street on Thursday, June 27 and failed to stop, colliding with a parked car in a 40 kilometre school zone near a Wallsend public school.

A roadside breath test returned a high range reading of 0.296.

A police report said when they picked up Ms Baker, her eyes were bloodshot, glazed over, her speech was slurred and she could hardly stand up.

In Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, magistrate Robert Stone condemned the mother of two for the seriousness of the offence.

Katrina Baker (left) leaving Newcastle court. The mother of two was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 7 months.

“The reading indicated you were not just affected but terribly affected,” said magistrate Stone.

“You were almost to the stage of having alcohol poisoning. You were going to pick up a child with that level of alcohol.

“You would have put her at great risk.

“The offence is serious and if you had a record with other driving offences, you’d be going straight to jail.”

Baker’s solicitor Roland Day said it was a spontaneous decision by his client to drive because she needed to pick up her child.

“She didn’t think,” said Mr Day.

Newcastle Local Court.

“I think by the reading she was so seriously affected, she couldn’t think about what she was doing.

“Her family are around her now and also recognise the seriousness of the matter.

“She has never been to court before and her driving record is impeccable.”

Mr Day acknowledged his client had alcohol issues and she was getting treatment.

Judge Stone said he took into account the remorse she showed and her willingness to rehabilitate.

He handed down a nine month intensive corrections order, which requires Ms Baker to abstain from alcohol and attend the Calvary Mater Hospital on Monday, 22 July for treatment.

She was also fined a thousand dollars and disqualified from driving for seven months, with an interlock required for 24 months.