A TROUBLED mother borrowed her son’s car to go and get some drink after feeling distressed, a court heard.

Joanne Druett, of Widecombe in the Moor, suffered from mental health issues and had planned to take her medication with some liquor.

Newton Abbot Magistrates’ Court heard on Wednesday that the 46-year-old used her son’s Vauxhall to go the shop - even though she had lost her licence last year for drink-driving.

Unemployed Druett admitted driving whilst disqualified and not having insurance when she appeared in court last week.

Prosecutor Phil Sewell told the bench Druett was feeling down on October 19 last year and texted her husband to tell him she was going for a walk.

Her concerned partner went to their home address at Brook Lane Cottages to check on her but found their son’s vehicle was missing.

Mr Druett, who was worried about his wife’s well-being, alerted police.

Magistrates heard how Druett had driven from the Dartmoor village to the Co-op store in Bovey Tracey before returning to Widecombe where she was found by special constables.

Officers ran checks which found Druett was banned from driving and didn’t have any insurance.

Druett was taken to hospital because of her welfare and was later interviewed by police but made no comment throughout.

Her son Joshua confirmed his mum took the car and said it wasn’t insured because he had just sold the vehicle.

Druett’s solicitor, Simon Colman, told magistrates his client had ‘low mental health’ on the day and felt low.

He revealed Druett had written notes to her family before going to Bovey Tracey to buy alcohol.

But since the incident his client felt 70 per cent better and regularly saw her GP and probation officer.

Magistrates put a curfew on Druett to remain in her house from 9pm until 7am every day for three months. She was also tagged.

The bench ordered her to pay £125 in costs and banned her from driving for 24 months.