A BOOZED-up mum caught covered in grease trying to escape cops after leaving her kids home alone claims she had a perfectly good excuse.
Magen Hendry, 28, was chased by cops after they spotted her black Audi A9 driving dangerously at 3am in Stockton, County Durham, in October 2019.
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Teesside Crown Court heard she had left her two kids at home in bed while she drove a drunk pal home.
She went through two sets of red lights and although cops initially lost sight of her motor, they later found it abandoned in a car park with the beautician crouching behind a wall.
Magen had covered herself in “anti-vandal” grease in an attempt to camouflage herself and her feet were bleeding.
Police then found her two children at home crying out for their mum.
But recalling the night, she insisted: “I was covered in grease because I climbed over a wall to access a short cut home – I didn’t lather myself in it to camouflage myself – I don’t even own anti-vandal grease.”
The mum added: “My friend and I were decorating my home with balloons for my daughter’s birthday.
“I told my neighbour where I was going as it was easier than waking the children up and bringing them with me at 3am.
“I wasn’t going 90mph or anything like that and then the police saw me.
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“I didn’t want to drive anymore so I dropped my car in the car park and started walking home.”
Magen pleaded guilty to two counts of child neglect and one count of dangerous driving.
Judge Howard Crowson handed her a two-year supervision order and an 18-month driving ban.
He told her she had been “careless about the welfare of your children and of other drivers on the road.”
But Magen, who says backlash from the ordeal has affected her badly, says her driving ban will impact her children’s education.
She claims there are no school buses for them and taxis to and from school will now cost her over £450 per month.
The judge warned her that if she drove whilst banned, she could end up with a prison sentence.
The mum, who has since undertaken alcohol courses, therapy and worked with social services, said: “The driving ban will impact the children as taxis to their school cost a small fortune. I could be spending that on nice things for them instead.
“I wasn’t allowed to move them to a closer school as social services said that would disrupt their routine.”
She added: “I know what I did was wrong but it was a mistake and I’ve learned from it.
“People have sent me death threats and told me I’m not fit to be a mother.
“They’ve commented on family pictures with my children, which has left me in tears.
“This has ruined my life.”
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