Dubbo Local Court has warned a 25-year-old P-plater for the last time for driving during her disqualification period.
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Tia Kennedy, of Tink Avenue in Dubbo, faced court on Wednesday, April 5, and pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified.
Court documents reveal Kennedy has been convicted in multiple courts including Lithgow, Walgett and Bathurst local courts for driving while disqualified and driving with a suspended licence.
Police said she had an "appalling" traffic record and had been charged 15 times with 12 previously recorded legal processes. The court was told imprisonment should be the appropriate sentence for an inexperienced driver who had been convicted three times in the last year.
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Kennedy's latest offending occurred on January 5 when highway police spotted her in a white Ford Falcon sedan pulling up in her driveway. She told the police she had gone to buy medication for her mother.
In court, defence solicitor Tia Hollis said none of Kennedy's family members had licences and that she had full-time care of her mother who suffered from multiple illnesses.
Kennedy had completed the traffic offender's program and her mother was present in the court's public gallery to support her. Ms Hollis said the offending was due to Kennedy's "immaturity".
"She says sorry to the court, and [hopes] it's the last time she comes back," Ms Hollis said.
The lawyer also said her client had never been given a jail term or an intensive correction order for driving offences.
"She's getting close," magistrate Gary Wilson said.
He sentenced Kennedy to a 12-month community correction order and disqualified her from driving for another six months. Kennedy was also fined $300.
"If you breach that good behaviour bond by way of a driving offence, which you have multiple of, the next step in this progression is probably jail. So you've been told," Mr Wilson said.
