Drink-driver left kids alone

Photo / Greg Bowker

A woman who was caught drink-driving while her children were left home alone was yesterday sentenced to community detention and ordered to take alcohol and drug counselling and treatment.

Kerry-Anne Stevens, 32, was earlier convicted of refusing to accompany police, resisting arrest, drink-driving, and two charges of leaving her children with no supervision.

Christchurch District Court was told she left the children at home while she picked up a friend from the city, but was stopped by police for drink-driving while she was out.

She did not tell the police about her two sons, aged 9 and 3, at home alone while she was processed at the station.

Judge Patricia Costigan sentenced Stevens to community detention for four months with a curfew from 7pm to 7am, supervision for 12 months and an order to take drug and alcohol counselling and treatment as recommended by her probation officer.

She was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.