A mum was caught drink driving with her three children in the car shortly after being interviewed about the difficulty of returning to work because of childcare costs.
Unemployed Maxine Watts - a former civil servant - had been drinking wine before she got behind the wheel to buy some food for dinner and reversed into another car.
She exchanged details with the other driver, who then called police to say the 40-year-old was slurring her words and her breath smelled of alcohol. She was arrested and failed a breath test.
Earlier in the day the single mum had been interviewed by her local newspaper about childcare costs, claiming she was unable to return to work because it would cost her £2,355 a month to put her daughters aged four and two and son aged one into a nursery.
Five days after her arrest, the article was printed in the Wirral Globe with Watts saying: "I want to start being able to provide for my family."
A court heard Watts, from Great Sutton, Cheshire, who used to work as a local authority manager had drunk two 120ml glasses of wine after completing the interview and before going to the shops.
She was arrested at her home where she failed her B-test. Later at the police station she tried nine times to give a breath sample but failed due to "difficulties".
At Chester Magistrates Court, Watts admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath and was banned from driving for 16 months.
Georgia Leyland, prosecuting, said: "It was September 23 and around 6.15pm. Witnesses were both in their car on Gleneagles Road, Little Sutton, when the defendant reversed into their car's passenger door.
"The defendant stopped nearby and exchanged details with the driver. However, the witnesses said they could smell intoxicating liquor on her breath. There were children in the car and she appeared to be slurring her words.
"The witnesses phoned the police as the defendant drove away. Officers attended the defendant's address where a roadside breath test proved positive.
"She was taken to custody where she was given nine attempts to provide a sample of breath but she failed to provide a sample. She failed to blow into the machine correctly.
"It is believed she had difficulty with the procedure but it was still assessed as being a deliberate failure to provide a sample of breath. She does suffer from asthma and was trying to provide a sample but failed to do so. She had nine attempts to complete it."
Watts had no previous convictions on her record. Her lawyer Steve Coupe said that he did not consider the offence a "deliberate refusal." and added: "You have heard that this lady is of good character.
"It is right to say that she's ashamed to be in court this afternoon. It was a Friday and she had spent a large part of the day preparing and participating in a newspaper article for a local newspaper which highlighted the lack of affordable child care for mothers wanting to go into work.
"She accepts that she drank two 120 ml glasses of wine and thereafter went out to get some food for her children.
"She thought she would be fine to drive and accepted that there was a relatively modest collision while she was reversing.
"She became concerned with the demeanour of the other individuals but did exchange details with them and drove home.
"The aggravating feature is that she was involved in a road traffic collision and there were children in the car.
"But in the police station she did try to provide a specimen of breath. I have a letter from her GP to show she does have asthma.
"She did provide one sample that was acceptable. She did not say 'No' to providing a sample, which in my submission was not a deliberate refusal.
"If I am able to pick up a heavy weight on one occasion, it does not mean that I should be able to pick it up on another time.
"There was nothing to suggest there was a high level of impairment in her driving.
JPs also fined Watts £120 and made her pay £168 in costs and victim surcharge. Chair of the bench Andrew Merrill said: "Considering you were involved in an accident and three young children were in the car at the time, the ban will be 16 months. But we do offer you the drink-drive awareness course which, if completed, will lead to a substantial reduction to your disqualification period."
According the newspaper report Watts featured in, parents who work are eligible for up to £646.35 for one child and a maximum of £1108.04 for two or more children under a Government scheme for covering childcare costs.
It said Watts would be expected to pay £1247.18 a month for childcare with government help yet under the national living wage at £10.90 an hour, a typical mother would receive £1744.00 a month working a 40-hour week without tax deductions.
Watts told the paper: "Unfortunately, the government don't financially recognise any children after the second born.
"They are creating financial barriers for me to go back to work. I truly believe women are priced out, not only of being able to provide for their families, but also out of their careers. There is a whole workforce of women ready to work and contribute to society, but they are unable to due to not being able to afford childcare."
Watts had previously given other interviews to the same newspaper in which she shared her tips for saving on energy bills during the cost of living crisis.
