A MOTHER-of-three who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) drove to collect her children despite being disqualified from driving.
A MOTHER-of-three who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) drove to collect her children despite being disqualified from driving.
Victoria Hind, of Mill Close, Trimley St Martin pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle while disqualified and without insurance when she appeared at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court.
The 28-year-old was recognised by a police officer as she drove to pick up her three young children from school on May 11.
Hind had been banned from driving for 12 months in August 2008 for drink driving.
Mark Holt, mitigating, said his client was in a state of stress and suffering from OCD after a man repairing her washing machine delayed her from leaving her home to pick up her three-year-old from nursery.
The repairman left leaving water over her floor, which, Mr Holt said, Hind felt compelled to clean up.
As a result she took the spare set of keys for her partner's Vauxhall car and drove to collect her children.
Police officers apprehended her as she returned to Mill Close and was pulling into her driveway, admitting her ban to the officer immediately.
Mr Holt said when he questioned his client as to why she failed to ask a friend to help or order a taxi she said she had not thought about it, due to the nature of her illness.
“She was pressurised by the time she had waited all day long. It struck her as the only thing to do at the time,” he said. “In the circumstances it was the only thing she could do.”
Anne Parry, chairman of the bench, said the fact Hind had her children in the car was an aggravating feature.
“It is an aggravating feature that you deliberately drove before the end of your ban and that you had your small children in the car, a very serious factor.”
Hind was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work, and was disqualified for nine months, adding a further six months onto her original ban.
Are road laws tough enough? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here