Chesterfield mother gets 185 days for DUI with unbuckled child

By: Times-Dispatch Staff | Times-Dispatch
Published: June 04, 2009

A Chesterfield County mother who ran a red light at 80 mph and nearly crashed into several cars while driving drunk with her unbuckled infant in the car was sentenced yesterday to 185 days in jail.

Daphne N. Holt, 25, pleaded guilty in Chesterfield Circuit Court to felony child endangerment and driving under the influence, her third DUI conviction since 2003.

Under a plea agreement, Judge Timothy J. Hauler convicted Holt and sentenced her to five years in prison but suspended all but 95 days of that term for the third-offense DUI, a felony. He also fined her $1,500 and suspended her driver's license indefinitely.

Hauler then sentenced Holt -- who meekly apologized for her behavior -- to an additional five years but suspended all but 90 days for felony child endangerment. In addition, Holt received a 12-month suspended jail term for driving on a suspended license.

Chesterfield patrolman Gary T. Bailey testified that on Oct. 9 he observed Holt, driving more than 80 mph eastbound on U.S. 360, run a red light at Woodlake Village Parkway. Several cars turning left onto U.S. 360 had to swerve to avoid colliding with her, he said.

Undeterred, Holt continued east on 360 and nearly collided with another vehicle at the light at Winterpock Road before screeching to a halt in the middle of the intersection. The officer pulled her over and discovered that Holt's son, then 9 months old, was unbelted in his child-safety seat, which wasn't secured to the seat of the car, Chesterfield prosecutor Dennis Collins said.

Collins said Holt had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17, more than twice the legal limit. She was driving on a suspended license.

Defense attorney Steve Sommers acknowledged in court that Holt's parenting skills that day were "just horrible."

"It scared her to death," Sommers said.

But he said Holt has made great strides since then to get her life in order.

She has temporarily given up custody of her son to her mother, is enrolled in weekly substance abuse counseling, attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings five days a week, is seeing a Chesterfield mental health counselor and is taking medication for depression.

The judge granted Sommers' request that Holt be allowed to begin serving her jail sentence June 26, so that she and her fiancé can close on a new home.

Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or mbowes@timesdispatch.com.