Drunken mum crashed into Matalan before fleeing

A drunken mum who had never driven before fled after crashing her friend’s car into a wall at Matalan causing £15,000 of damage.

Samantha Cross, 24, who was three times over the alcohol limit, was later found hiding behind the back of a nearby pet shop on Station Road, Swinton.

The Manchester Evening News reports that she and 30-year-old Kelly Larkin, who was one-and-a-half times above the limit, had been on an all-night boozing binge on May 27.

Prosecutor Nicola Ormrod said at Manchester and Salfords magistrates' court that the pair had gone for something to eat at 6 o’clock the next morning and ended up in Matalan car park.

Larkin, of Westwood Crescent, Eccles, was fined £150 and banned off the road for a year.

The pair had pleaded guilty to drink driving. Cross faced further charges of no licence and no insurance, but was given no separate penalty for those offences.

When arrested, Cross – a mother of a five year old child – said: "I didn’t mean to crash. I am not even insured. I was just having a go”.

The court heard that Larkin was arrested near her car and said: “I am not going to lie. I had driven to Matalan with my pal. I had had a skin full and I let her drive and she took off”.

Samantha Cross, left, was slapped with a £200 fine and two year ban. Kelly Larkin got a £150 fine and a one-year ban.

The pair were each ordered to pay a £150 criminal court charge along with £85 prosecution costs.

Cross was made to pay a further £60 victim surcharge and her co-accused £20.