Giving all mums a bad name

A MUM has admitted being drunk in charge of her three-year-old daughter.

Lorna Ann Warren, of Abbotsmead Approach, Barrow, was slapped with a four month curfew when she appeared at Furness Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Prosecutor Lee Dacre told Furness Magistrates’ Court how a member of the public called cops after the 26-year-old was spotted staggering past the Last Orders Inn, Greengate Street, Barrow, at 5pm on July 7.

He said: “When a PC arrived he saw a female trying to push a pram. She was staggering and he could see a blonde head inside the pram.

“As he spoke to her, her speech was slurred, her eyes glazed and he could smell alcohol. She appeared to be holding onto the buggy as if she couldn’t stand up and was using the buggy for support.

“She told the officer she had split from her boyfriend and that’s why she was drunk. The child and mother were taken to the police station.

“A second female officer also confirms that the defendant was drunk. While carrying out a search she (Warren) started to take off her top and was told to stop as male officers were present.”

Mr Dacre added that Warren was too drunk to be interviewed or told her rights and was placed in a “drunk cell” which has CCTV to monitor prisoners.

It was six hours before she was fit and sober enough to be interviewed, the court was told. Warren, who was living in Harrison Street, Barrow, at the time of the offence had initially pleaded not guilty to being found drunk in a highway while having charge of a child under seven.

The afternoon of her trial she changed her mind and admitted the offence after being shown video footage of herself in the police station.

The DVD was shown to the court and Warren was seen staggering around and shouting at police incoherently crying: “I want my baby.”

The court was told her three-year-old daughter was placed into the care of her grandparents on the evening in question.

Bleached-blonde Warren, wearing a pink tracksuit jacket, blue jeans and sporting a keyring with the words “Top Mum” attached to her bag, kept her head bowed throughout.

Trystan Roberts, defending, said his client had seen the CCTV footage and been mortified and highly embarrassed.

He added: “She had had something to drink but she did not think she was drunk. Having seen the DVD she realises she was worse than she thought.

“Things that have been said about this incident have been exaggerated. Saying she was staggering and using the pushchair to hold her up? I have seen the pushchair and it is extremely flimsy and would not hold anyone up.

“The child was also not in any distress. This is a different woman you see here before you today. She has stopped self harming and taking street drugs.

“Before this happened she was working at turning her life around. That’s why she was so upset to find herself at the police station.

“She has changed. She’s smartened herself up, has put weight on and has left her partner and is sorting herself out. This has been a real learning process for her.”

Magistrates decided to punish her by putting her under a four-month curfew and fining her £50 court costs. She must remain indoors between 7pm and 7am for four months.

I dont drink at all when the kids are at home, I have a couple of drinks when they're away at their dads. I have no problem with people having a glass or two of wine occasionally at a special party or something, but people should not have children if they get so blathered that they cant even stand straight. What if one of the kids had run into the road or even just tripped up, she would have been no use to any of them

This bit makes me laugh “She has changed. She’s smartened herself up, has put weight on and has left her partner and is sorting herself out. This has been a real learning process for her.” The picture that goes with the story is of her sticking two fingers up at the photographer outside the court, she hasnt changed that much then

I must admit when I saw her flicking the vs I thought the same. She couldn't give a nac. Poor little girl having her as a mum.

She sounds a real treasure. Poor little kid.

Not sure what having bleached blonde hair has to do with it though, unless those of us who colour our hair are bad mothers.

It did sound like she was also being judged on her appearance didn't it? I couldn't care less what she was wearing or what colour her hair was, as long as she looks after her little girl properly.I would have left the "Top Mum" keyring at home on that particular day though.

It always makes me laugh when they use descriptions like that. Its the same when they say about the 'asian conman' or the 'black hooligan', if they were white they would just be conmen or hooligans

Different if they're describing someone to avoid or watch out for, but once they've been caught and convicted it doesnt matter what they look like.

That woman was past drunk, she could have died of alcoholic poisoning. If they had to wait six hours for her to be lucid enough to interview, she's got problems. She should be grateful they got her before she wheeled the pram into traffic.