A drunk mum was almost three and a half times over the limit when she picked up her son from primary school.
Debbie Batten, 50, spent the day drinking wine before pulling up in her Ford Ka to collect the eight-year-old.
Fellow parents were so concerned about the state she was in they alerted the deputy headmaster at Ottery St Mary Primary School in East Devon.
Police were called when Batten picked up her son and left to drive him the short distance home.
Officers arrived at her house a short time later and she smelt strongly of alcohol and appeared confused, magistrates in Exeter, Devon heard.
She was arrested and at the police station gave a reading of 117 mgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Batten, of Ottery St Mary, admitted drink driving on the afternoon of June 20.
The court heard she felt “shame and embarrassment” that her behaviour was witnessed by parents and teachers at the school.
Lyndsey Baker, prosecuting, said: “She accepted in interview that her actions were irresponsible.
“The aggravating factor was that her young son, who was eight, was in the car and she drove near a school.
“She clearly posed a risk to the public in the area at the time.”
In mitigation, Robert Jacobs said: “She recognises that it was a high reading. At the age of 50 she has no previous convictions on her record.
“She had a young child in the car but there was no suggestion of her driving putting others at risk.
“It was an error of judgement to get behind the wheel and make the short journey to pick up her son.
“Since a bereavement in her life things have gone downhill for her, and drink has become a bit of an issue.”
Magistrates banned Batten from driving for 28 months and imposed a three month overnight curfew from 9pm to 7am
