Tip-off twins earn judge's praise

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A mother has been sentenced for drink-driving after her twin daughters reported her to police in Barnsley.

Emma and Helen Cox, 21, were praised by the judge at Barnsley Magistrates' Court as their mother Tracy was given a three-month suspended jail term.

The court heard the pair rang police when Cox drank a bottle of wine before getting in her car on 29 April. She was more than twice over the legal limit.

Three weeks later she was stopped again after a tip-off she had been drinking.

I applaud your daughters' public spiritedness District Judge Michael Rosenberg

On that occasion Cox, who had picked her eight-year-old daughter up from school in the town, refused to give officers a breath test.

In court Cox was banned from driving for three years, placed under a 12-month supervision order, told to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the local community and ordered to attend a driving improvement course.

Sentencing the mother-of-four, District Judge Michael Rosenberg said: "I applaud your daughters' public spiritedness on contacting and reporting it to the police.

"Their actions in my view have to be admired."

The judge added Cox had no "credible defence" and had been prepared for her daughters to give evidence against her until she pleaded guilty.

Chris Peace, Cox's solicitor, said his client's daughters had watched their mother move her car a "very short distance".

On the second occasion Cox drove to her younger daughter's school when she woke up after she had been drinking and realised she was late to collect the child, Mr Peace.

Judge Rosenberg added: "You have come of the periphery of being sent away [to prison]".

Cox's sentence was suspended for 12 months and she was told to pay £150 prosecution costs.