A WOMAN who drove a car as she filmed a small boy 'dancing' in the front passenger seat has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The three-year-old was not in a child seat and although he had an adult seat belt on, it was only round his waist, said Katrina Goodwin, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

Kerry Lee White, 35, posted her video on Facebook, where a police officer saw it and investigated.

York Press:

"Anything could have happened whilst your attention was away from the road," Judge Simon Hickey told White.

"He could have gone through the windscreen, so could you."

Road policing officer Mark Patterson, of North Yorkshire Police, said outside court: “As the footage clearly shows, Miss White’s driving that day was highly irresponsible and incredibly dangerous and it’s only through sheer luck she wasn’t involved in a serious collision.

“Her blatant disregard for the safety of the child and traffic laws could have ended tragically and the consequences of her actions had she lost control of her vehicle doesn’t bear thinking about.

“I’d like to thank the member of the public who reported this incident to us and I hope this message sends a clear message that this type of reckless behaviour will not be tolerated on our roads.”

White, of Prospect Road, Scarborough, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. She has three previous drink-drive related offences, one for careless driving and one for failure to stop after an accident.

The judge said she had "a very poor record for driving" but he would suspend her prison sentence because her family needed her.

White was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on condition she does 20 days' rehabilitative activities. She was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pass an extended driving test.

For White, Taryn Turner said: "This was a moment of extreme stupidity."

White had not thought about the seriousness of her actions, or the potential for causing an accident involving herself, the child or other members of the public.

The defence barrister said nothing more after the judge said he would suspend the prison sentence.

Miss Goodwin said White made the video on her mobile phone on December 16, 2017, and posted it on her Facebook profile.

On January 15, 2018, the police were told about it. A police officer recognised the roads in the video in residential Scarborough and tracked down White.

The judge told White: "You provided all the evidence against yourself, effectively. "