A two-year-old boy was left paralyzed following a devastating car accident, after his mother allowed her cocaine dealer to drive her children despite being aware of his drug use.

Shayna Bowman, a 29-year-old single mother, consented to have Rhys Farry drive her and her three children home from a football tournament, even though she knew he had been consuming alcohol and cocaine.

The catastrophe occurred when Farry, aged 30, attempted to overtake a line of vehicles in his Audi A3, ran a red light, and collided with another car before crashing into a tree.

He was seven times the drug-drive limit at the time of the crash, which occurred on April 20. 

Bowman’s two-year-old son sustained a critical spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. Doctors have confirmed that he will not be able to walk again.

Her five-year-old daughter endured a broken, dislocated arm and a fractured neck, while her six-year-old son suffered from a broken collarbone and multiple internal injuries.

Inquiries revealed none of the children were in child or booster seats and instead had been strapped in using adult safety belts. 

Bowman also received serious injuries in the crash at Henbury, near Macclesfield, Cheshire, after which she was arrested on suspicion of neglect.

Single mother Shayna Bowman, 29, accepted a lift for her children from her drug dealer who crashed his vehicle and paralysed her youngest son

Rhys Farry, 30, overtook a line of traffic in his Audi A3, jumped a red traffic light and hit another car before ploughing into a tree

Despite being urged by the children to reduce his speed, Farry attempted to escape the crash scene but was apprehended by other drivers and convinced to return to the site.

Tests showed he had 357 micrograms of the cocaine breakdown product BZE in his blood – the legal limit being 50mg. He also had no licence or insurance to drive the car.

When questioned Bowman, of Wythenshawe, Manchester said: ‘It was a massive mistake and I have to live with it for the rest of my life. My kids mean everything to me.’

At Chester Crown Court Bowman faced up to 14 years in jail after she admitted three charges of child neglect but wept in the dock as she was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 20 months when a judge heard she was deemed fit to carry on looking after her children.

Farry, from Chorlton-cum-Hardy, was jailed for three years at an earlier hearing after he admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drug driving and having no licence or insurance.

The tragedy occurred on April 20 this year when mother of four Bowman and the three children travelled to watch her fourth child, nine, play in the football tournament in the Macclesfield area.

Prosecutor Peter Hussey said: ‘Rhys Farry, who she knows very well and who was her supplier of cocaine, had come around in his Audi A3 car and offered her a lift. 

‘She took her other three children with her aged six, five and two to the tournament and later they were travelling back on the A537 near Chelford at 5pm.

Tests showed Farry he had 357 micrograms of the cocaine breakdown product BZE in his blood – the legal limit being 50mg

The occupants of the Sandero, a 60-year-old woman, a 33-year-old woman and a one-year-old boy sustained minor injuries in the accident

‘Already Farry’s behaviour was of concern to at least one of the children who asked him to slow down but in the lead up to the collision, the Audi approached a set of temporary traffic lights and overtook a line of traffic. 

‘He went through a red light whilst a Dacia Sandero car was turning right into a side road.

‘As the Dacia was turning, the Audi collided heavily with the rear and offside of that car which was shunted up an embankment. The Audi then came to rest after colliding with a tree. 

‘All of the occupants were injured to one degree or another and Farry eventually got out and ran off from the scene. Fortunately, a number of motorists stopped, went after Farry and persuaded him to come back to the scene.

‘Police and ambulance were called and two of the children were airlifted by helicopter to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, the other two injured were taken by ambulance. 

‘Not one of the children was in a child car seat or a child booster seat which given their ages and nature of the journey that day is clearly quite wrong.

‘It is evident the defendant Bowman was aware of the condition of the driver of the car who had been seen drinking and he is clearly a man who takes cocaine.

‘She made admissions in police interview that she saw Farry drinking alcohol and said one of the children was concerned about the speed. This defendant would know what sort of person Farry is. 

At Chester Crown Court Bowman faced up to 14 years in jail after she admitted three charges of child neglect but wept in the dock as she was sentenced to 20 months in prison

‘There is also a suspicion that she herself was intoxicated to some extent.’

The court heard all of the children were subject to child protection plans with social services but is thought that order will ow be lifted due to Bowman going free.

Her counsel Gareth Bellis said the injured children were recovering and the family house had since been converted to deal with the ongoing mobility issues now faced by the youngest child.

Mr Bellis added: ‘There are no concerns about mum’s care of the children going forward. She will work alongside social services and has engaged with drugs and alcohol services. 

‘She is going to provide samples for analysis to show social services she is no longer using cocaine and is going to go for regular testing to show she is no longer using alcohol.

‘This defendant did not set out to hurt any of the children.’

Bowman was also ordered complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and an alcohol abstinence requirement. 

Judge Natalie Cuddy told her: ‘You allowed your children to be carried with you in a vehicle being driven by somebody you knew as he provided you with cocaine on a regular basis.

‘On the day that you travelled in the car with him you had been to a football match for your eldest child and this ought to have been a happy family event. 

‘I am aware from your interview you had seen Mr Farry drinking alcohol and I have read a description of the manner in which he was driving which was considered to be erratic and excessive speed for the road you were driving on.

‘It ought to have been obvious to you that you and indeed your children were being exposed to very serious risk. But that risk was compounded by the fact that you allowed the children to travel with only adult seat belts as restraints rather than the appropriate child seats or booster seats as the law requires.

‘Those children were very small. It must have been obvious to you that failing to ensure the children were properly and safely secured in the vehicle would present a risk to them in the event of any collision. 

‘These children experienced prolonged stays in hospital which I have no doubt will have been an extremely frightening and painful and a traumatic experience for them.’

But the judge added: ‘I know that you yourself have suffered an adverse childhood, you were struggling as a single parent and self harming. 

‘I therefore recognise that any custodial sentence I impose on you would fall more heavily on you in light of your mental health difficulties.

‘I am told that in the months leading up to the incident you were using cocaine on an almost daily basis and that may have impacted on the decisions you made in respect of the children. 

‘Your guilty pleas are the most genuine expression of remorse and it strikes me that there is very little that the court can impose on you that equates to the punishment you have already suffered, having seen what your children have experienced and the injuries they have suffered, the trauma that they have gone through as a consequence of your poor decision making.

‘I must take into account that you are the sole carer for your children and if I impose a custodial sentence on you, the children would be likely to suffer further harm, on top of what they have already experienced.’

The occupants of the Sandero, a 60-year-old woman, a 33-year-old woman and a one-year-old boy sustained minor injuries in the accident.