Suspended term for driving while banned

A 35-year-old woman was given a suspended prison sentence last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court for driving while she was disqualified.
Symbol of law and justice in the empty courtroom, law and justice concept.Symbol of law and justice in the empty courtroom, law and justice concept.
Symbol of law and justice in the empty courtroom, law and justice concept.

Siobhan Brady, whose address was given to the court as Belvedere Manor, Lurgan, had previously admitted driving while disqualified on November 19 last year, not having insurance and not having a vehicle test certificate.

The case was adjourned to obtain a pre-sentence report.

A prosecutor said that a police mobile patrol on the Antrim Road in Lurgan carried out checks on a vehicle and these showed there was no valid insurance in place.

The car pulled into a filling station and they spoke to the defendant who said she had lost her licence and admitted she did not have insurance.

Further police checks revealed the vehicle test certificate had expired on July 10 last year and she had been disqualified from driving for six months on June 8.

Brady told police she was unaware she had been disqualified from driving.

The case had been adjourned from a previous court to obtain a pre-sentence report.

Mr Conor Downey, representing the defendant, said it was a case of where she had ‘buried her head in the sand’ and if she had managed her affairs she would not have been disqualified.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, told Brady that court orders were imposed for a reason and she chose to ignore them.

For driving while disqualified she imposed a three month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and banned her from driving for six months.

A 200 fine and a concurrent six month ban was imposed for not having insurance and she was fined £75 and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy for not having a vehicle test certificate.