Two teenage girls who cheated jail over a drink-driving smash celebrated their freedom by going to the pub – just moments after telling a court they were ‘ashamed’ of their behaviour.
Best friends Alesha Peers and Kaitlyn Morris both walked free from court after their lawyer said their drink-drive escapade was ‘out of character’ and they were ‘ashamed’.
But just minutes after leaving court, the smirking pair walked 100 yards around the corner and went to the Rising Sun Pub in Manchester city centre.
After leaving the pub with big grins on their faces later on, the duo then made their way to meet friends in another bar.
Alesha Peers (blonde hair) and Kaitlyn Morris (black hair) smirk as they are seen leaving The Rising Sun Pub in Manchester city centre just minutes after dodging jail over a drink-driving smash
Peers, pictured right, who had no driving licence, had downed white wine but still got behind the wheel of her mother’s Honda Civic. She lost control of the vehicle just 500 yards down the road and ploughed into a car
During the hearing, the court was told how Peers, 18 – who had no driving licence – had got drunk on white wine then sneaked off in her mother’s Honda Civic to their local corner shop so she could buy cigarettes with Morris, 19.
But just 500 yards down the road, Peers lost control of the car and ploughed into a parked vehicle, propelling it into a garden wall.
The owner of the wrecked car came out of a house to find Peers slumped at the wheel of the Honda and Morris drunk in the passenger seat.
Police breath tested Peers and found she was more than twice the drink driving limit. Her mother Michelle, 39, knew nothing about the girls taking her car.
At Manchester magistrates’ court, Peers pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and driving without a licence. Morris pleaded guilty to being willingly carried in a vehicle taken without the owner’s consent.
The incident occurred last July 30 after the two girls, both from Newton Heath, Manchester, had spent Sunday evening drinking with Peers’ mother.
Alesha Peers, 18, left, and Kaitlyn Morris, 19, swerved jail following a drink drive smash. A court heard they were ‘anxious and ashamed’ at what they had done but they were later seen smirking as they left a pub
Cheeky: Alesha Peers was found to be more than twice the legal drink drive limit after she crashed her mother’s car. The teenager, from Manchester, dodged jail
Prosecuting Miss Eileen Rogers said: ‘Alesha Peers’ mother became aware that the two girls had left and she assumed that they had gone to the shop to purchase some items.
‘A neighbour was visiting her sisters neighbouring property and was about to leave when she heard a loud bang. She went outside and saw that her car had been rammed and had hit a garden wall.
‘She saw Alesha in the driver’s seat of the car and her friend Kaitlyn was in the passenger seat. She helped the girls out of the car and spoke to them on the kerb. It became clear that the girls had taken the car without the owner’s permission and it became clear that Alesha had no licence or insurance and her friend was aware of that.
‘She then called the police. It also became clear that the pair of them had been drinking alcohol, particularly Alesha who had been driving the vehicle.The car was only insured to Alesha’s mother.’
The incident occurred last July 30 after the two girls, both from Newton Heath, Manchester, had spent a Sunday evening drinking. Peers, above, has been fined by magistrates
Pushing her luck: Kaitlyn Morris has been electronically tagged after she admitted being willingly carried in a vehicle taken without the owner’s consent
Peers was taken to the police station where a breath test showed she had 85 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
In mitigation for both teenagers, defence lawyer Dominic Walker told the court: ‘They know that it was an idiotic thing to do getting in the vehicle. It was out of character for both of them.
‘Both of the girls realise the magnitude of their stupidity that day. They had been out with Alesha’s mother and they had been drinking, they took the car to go the short distance to the shops to get some cigarettes, and her mother knew nothing about that.
‘Miss Peers was the one driving the vehicle over the limit, with no insurance or licence and she did accept full responsibility for her actions.
‘But she had been having her own problems. ‘She tells me that at the time she had stopped taking her medication. She takes medication for her anxiety and depression and she had previously been in hospital after an attempt on her own life.
Alesha Peers (pictured) who with Kaitlyn Morris cheated jail over a drink-driving smash
‘At the time she and decided that she was well enough to be off the medication. She had been drinking and perhaps she was not in the best state of mind to make any decisions.
‘She is back on her medication now. She left school with a few qualifications but she is particularly artistic and is doing nail art and was at college when she had to leave because of her mental health.
‘Miss Morris herself was the more drunk of the two and she told the police that she was in the car and knew that Alesha didn’t have a licence to drive the car. She told the police that she had got into the car. She could have kept herself out of trouble but she didn’t and wanted to come clean.
‘This is the first time they have both come before the court and they are anxious for it not to ever happen again. They are both anxious and ashamed about it.’
Peers was ordered to complete a 12 month community order plus 100 hours unpaid work and was banned from driving for 22 months. Morris was ordered to be electronically tagged for two months between 7pm and 7am each night.
Both girls must pay £85 prosecution costs and £85 victim surcharge at the rate of £5 a month.
JP Gillian Pearson told Peers: ‘We have listened to the probation report and this situation you find yourself in is extremely serious. I don’t think that you appreciate how serious this is.’