A MOTHER wept in court as she was sentenced for putting her young child’s life at risk with her “despicable” driving.

Kerrianne Hibbert, 30, was back before a crown court judge for a second time in a year yesterday after admitting a charge of dangerous driving.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard she had been approached at her Harwich home by police officers in October 2019 over concerns for her children’s welfare.

When she refused to answer the door, the officers left, returning two hours later to find Hibbert in the driving seat of a Volkswagen Golf.

The court heard Hibbert’s young son was in the back seat.

When the officers parked their marked police car in front of the Golf, Hibbert reversed at speed down a grass bank and onto a main road.

She ignored requests to stop, instead fleeing the police and driving at speeds of up to 80mph in a 30mph zone.

She overtook other vehicles “recklessly”, accelerated towards the police and drove the wrong way around a mini roundabout.

Judge David Turner QC said: “Your driving was aggressive, irresponsible and dangerous. One of the officers described it as some of the worst, if not the worst, he had seen in his career.”

When Hibbert was arrested, she made full admissions, but the case has taken almost two years to reach its conclusion.

In November last year, she was sentenced to a year imprisonment after using her car as a weapon to drive at her partner.

In May this year, after her release, she flouted a driving ban by getting behind the wheel of Ford Fiesta in Mistley.

Appearing before magistrates, she was jailed for 12 weeks after admitting to driving while disqualified and without insurance, and assaulting a police officer.

Because of her “appalling” record of driving offences, magistrates jailed her for 12 weeks.

Judge Turner said he was “baffled” by the length of time it had taken for the October 2019 offence to reach court.

Addressing the judge directly from HMP Peterborough, a weeping Hibbert said she was about 15 weeks pregnant and is now desperate to make a fresh start.

Judge Turner said it would be “unjust” to simply extend Hibbert’s time in prison and instead said he would give her the opportunity to get her life back on track.

“You’ve had a significant period of custody since this despicable piece of driving,” he said.

“In all the circumstances of this rather unusual chronology and recent experiences of prison you’ve already had since this matter, I’m satisfied I can and should deal with it in this way.”

Hibbert, of Oakley Road, Harwich, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

She must complete 80 hours of unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Hibbert was banned from driving for two years and must take an extended test to get her licence back.