She appeared via AV-link from a prison remand unit during a Crown call over fixture, pleading guilty to four charges of failing to protect a child aged under 18, drink-driving (721mcg) for a third or subsequent time – her third, and dangerous driving.
Judge Turitea Bolstad further remanded her in custody for sentence on March 19.
A pre-sentence report assessing the suitability of electronically-monitored sentencing options was ordered.
A cultural report will be commissioned by defence counsel Vicky Thorpe.
According to an agreed summary of facts, the children were all aged under 10. The youngest was a year old.
Two members of the public called police after seeing her driving at about 120kmh in a 50kmh speed zone southwest on Centennial Marine Drive.
About 70 metres away from the Junior Cycle Park, the vehicle swerved on to the wrong side of the road twice before the woman regained control of it.
She was seen with one hand on the steering window and her head out the driver's door window.
Two motorists travelling in the opposite direction had to brake heavily to avoid a collision with her vehicle.
One of them phoned 111 and followed her.
She stopped in a carpark opposite the motorhome camp about a kilometre from where she was originally noticed.
When police arrived, she was in the driver's seat reading a book to her children.
Told of complaints about her driving, she said, “Who the f*** did that . . . they're all s*** . . . you can't prove it.”
When other officers approached her children, she yelled, “Don't you f***ing talk to my kids” and then screamed at the children, “Don't tell him anything . . . tell them it's your father . . . tell them it's your father driving.”
One of the children told police, “Dad's not here, he's with the baby at home”.
The summary of facts said that the woman told police she was not driving the car, she was a passenger in it, and that she refused to say who was driving, the summary of facts stated.
