STAFF at a Carlisle supermarket alerted the police after they saw a drunk mum driving away from their store with her six-year-old daughter.

A police breathalyser test confirmed Jade Moorhead, 30, was behind the wheel of her Vauxhall Zafira while almost three times the drink drive limit. At the city’s Rickergate court, prosecutor Pamela Fee outlined how the defendant drove to ASDA with her daughter on August 31.

Staff there noticed her when she arrived in the self-service area, trying to buy a bottle of vodka. “She was clearly drunk,” said the prosecutor.

Concerned by what they had seen, staff continued watching the defendant, from Cargo, as she got into her car with the child and drove away.

Police stopped the defendant on nearby Parkhouse Road a short time later, the court heard.

A breath test revealed that she had 93mcg of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Defence solicitor Mark Shepherd said that the defendant, who had done charity work for two local good causes, was extremely remorseful. She was herself deeply concerned at the way she had put both her daughter and other road users at risk through her behaviour.

A Probation Service worker who interviewed the defendant said that the offence had been a huge wake-up call for Moorhead. “She was using alcohol to help with her emotional state but she realises that this is not the answer,” said the officer.

She confirmed that Moorhead had now asked her GP for help and she was now determined to attend counselling sessions.

“She is genuinely very remorseful,” continued the probation officer. She said the defendant, a mother of three, was devastated by the impact of her offence and the potential consequences of her drink driving.

The officer added: “I don’t think you will see this woman before the court again. She had no previous similar offences on her record.”

Presiding magistrate Mark Travers imposed a 24 month driving ban, telling Moorhead: “We see this as an extremely serious offence... in your case with a considerable amount of alcohol in your system.

“What aggravated this was the fact that there was a child in the car.”

Noting the defendant’s remorse, magistrates also imposed a 12 week 8pm to 8am curfew, with £85 costs and a £92 victim surcharge. Moorhead was offered the drink drivers’ rehabilitation course.