Woman walks free despite her second drink-drive

A WOMAN has walked free from court despite being caught drinkdriving for the second time in a year.

Kathryn Kent was already disqualified from driving when she was pulled over by police. She gave a false name, before later revealing her actual name when officers investigated further.

She was later charged with and admitted driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and while under the influence of alcohol.

Kent received her first suspended sentence in 2018 after stealing £4,000 from her dementia-suffering grandmother to go to Disneyland. She was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.

She was caught after posting pictures of her holiday on Facebook, with her family questioning how she had been able to afford it. She admitted theft and was told by judge Adrian Reynolds she had “stooped about as low as you can get”.

Following this, she was found drink-driving in Swadlincote in September 2019, while also being disqualified from driving after amassing 12 penalty points.

She was convicted of drinkdriving, driving whilst disqualified, without insurance and breaching her suspended sentence.

On that occasion, Judge Shaun Smith QC deferred sentencing until April last year. During that hearing he went on to give her a threemonth jail term, suspended for a year. He also extended her driving ban so it would remain in place for another six months, meaning it would expire in October 2020.

At a sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on Monday, for her most recent offences, the court heard Kent, of Belmont Street, Swadlincote, was still banned when caught behind the wheel of an Audi A3 in William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, on August 4.

The hearing revealed Kent had bought the Audi A3 ready for when her driving ban was lifted, but was caught before she was allowed to.

The court heard a pre-sentence report which mentioned the impact her being sent to jail would have on her child’s physical and mental wellbeing.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds told Kent the wellbeing of her 15-year-old daughter was the main reason she had received a suspended sentence for these recent offences.

He said: “I realise you have had some real problems. It was a stupid thing to buy a car. If it wasn’t for your position with your child I would face a really difficult decision, because of the fact you don’t deserve much sympathy. Your 15-year-old does deserve all the sympathy, so for her sake I’m going to give you another chance. There will become a point where the court loses patience with you.”

He handed Kent a seven-month sentence, suspended for one year. He also disqualified her from driving for six months and give her 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.