A CHILDMINDER found drunk in charge of a child at an Ellesmere Port school car park is appealing her 16-week prison sentence.

Christina Manning, 33, of Heath Lane, Little Sutton, had just started her own childminding business but was nearly four times the drink-drive limit when officers arrived at the scene at Parklands Community Primary School's car park on the afternoon of June 24.

At Chester Magistrates Court on Monday, July 15, a probation report recommended Manning – who had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to drink-driving and being drunk in charge of a child under seven years – be handed a community order.

Ryan Rothwell, defending, also asked that any prison sentence imposed should be suspended.

But magistrates instead decided to imprison Manning immediately for 16 weeks.

After Manning was led to the cells, her defence quickly lodged an application to appeal the sentence.

A district judge approved the application and Manning was placed on bail pending the appeal hearing, which is to be heard at Chester Crown Court on a date yet to be decided.

Prosecuting, Rob Youds said staff at the school were made aware at 4.30pm on June 24 Manning smelt of intoxicants, and had asked her if she had been drinking.

Manning replied: "No, but I had wine last night," and was intending to drive to pick up her son from a nearby nursery.

Police were called and when officers arrived they could see three children in the back of Manning's Renault Megane, aged 13, 10 and one.

Manning had got into the car on the driver's side and an officer told her to step out, and could see Manning was shaking.

A breath test procedure was carried out which showed Manning had 130 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, nearly four times the legal limit of 35.

The court heard Manning fully admitted the offences in interview and was previously of good character.

A probation report heard Manning was visibly remorseful and tearful about the offences.

She had worked as a supply teacher at a Chester school and was trying to set up a childminding business.

But the night before the offence she had been at a barbecue and had consumed "a significant amount of alcohol".

She did not teach the following day and her main focus was on the childminding, but consumed one large glass of wine before driving as a coping mechanism to calm her anxiety.

She had been working with disabled children and was nervous how her son would react to a disabled child she was to look after.

The report added Manning became tearful about what kind of consequences there could have been and she was remorseful not just for her actions but for the parents of the other children.

Alcohol had been a coping mechanism since the loss of both her parents to cancer in 2014 and 2015, while the court heard Manning was a single mum to two children and had let her emotions bottle up.

She had been in contact with social services, had liaised with her GP and had referred herself to alcohol treatment services and was fully engaged with them.

The probation report added Manning would benefit from an alcohol treatment programme and bereavement counselling.

Social services had liaised with Ofsted and Manning was currently suspended from teaching.

Custody would mean a "significant impact on her and her family", the court heard, and Manning feared she would lose her property.

Defending, Mr Rothwell said: "This is a tremendous fall from grace."

He said Manning was highly qualified as a teacher and worked with disabled children and had worked at the University Church Free School in Chester, but "the past few years have taken a real toll on her".

She had lost both parents to cancer and had no-one to support or confide with.

Mr Rothwell said Manning was mum to a 13-year-old daughter and a 17-month-old son, and it appeared that she had undiagnosed post-natal depression and her boy had been extremely unwell.

He said: "As a coping mechanism she has referred to alcohol. It was a glass of wine at first, then two, then three."

The father of the child was at the back of court but they were not in a relationship, while she had left her job by mutual consent.

Mr Rothwell added: "She was going to be starting her first day of her new business. She was very anxious how her own son would be with a child with severe autism. She became so worried about getting it right she, in the afternoon, referred to her coping mechanism."

The court heard Manning's record had previously been "impeccable", with references from a priest and a family friend speaking very highly of her.

Mr Rothwell concluded: "The alcohol treatment programme will be extremely beneficial for her and stop the downward spiral."

But Ian Irving, chair of magistrates, said: "We have taken a long, long look at this; these are very serious offences."

Magistrates sentenced Manning to 16 weeks in prison for drink-driving, with a two-week concurrent sentence for being drunk in charge of a child, and ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge.

After a tearful Manning was led away to the cells, magistrates were reminded they needed to impose a driving ban.

Manning was banned for five years, with the option of having that ban reduced by a quarter if she takes a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

Since the hearing, Manning has appealed the prison sentence and is on bail pending a hearing at Chester Crown Court.