A MOTHER-of-five who shouted an offensive term at a member of the travelling fraternity has admitted a racially aggravated public order offence.

Cheryl Elizabeth May Bailey, 30, of St Mark’s Avenue in Connah’s Quay, was with her family at Deeside Leisure Centre when she alleged that a four by four vehicle came at speed towards them.

She said they had to jump out of the way, she had to move the pram to prevent it being struck and she and her partner reported the matter to the police.

As officers were attempting to calm matters down the defendant Bailey was heard to shout abuse at the other driver.

At Flintshire Magistrates Court she was fined £200 in her absence with £85 costs and a £30 surcharge.

The Mold court heard she was pregnant and had not attended court because she had a hospital scan.

Her solicitor entered a guilty plea on her behalf.

District judge Gwyn Jones said such comments were inappropriate and offensive.

However she had entered a timely guilty plea and he did not order compensation.

The judge said the prosecution did not have the current address of the driver and in any event no amount of money could compensate him for the trauma he had suffered.

James Neary, prosecuting at the Mold court, said Bailey, her partner and five children were at the annual fireworks display at the centre in Queensferry on November 4.

She took the view that the vehicle had been driven dangerously, was irate but there was no reply on the 101 police number.

They found two officers at the event and she complained the vehicle had driven at speed directly towards the family.

One officer spoke to the driver, the other spoke to Bailey and while they were in the process of calming people down the defendant shouted the offending words.

She admitted what she had said, told police she was not a racist but had been extremely frightened.

The driver claimed that she had said the same thing to him before the police arrival but there was no supporting evidence and the case proceeded on what the officers had heard.

Mr Neary said the driver had not wanted to get involved in a prosecution and had not made a statement.

Solicitor Simon Simmons, defending, said Bailey was unhappy at the way matters were being handled and lost her temper.

She was aggrieved and alleged that the vehicle almost ran over her child.

No action had been taken by the police against the driver, he said.

She was a young woman with five children who was pregnant again, he said.