A woman who was caught driving while suspended three times, as well as speeding and using her mobile phone while driving, has been fined $2000.
Simone Innes, 29, previously of Kialla, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to three counts of driving while suspended, one of speeding and one of using a mobile phone while driving.
Prosecutor Ibrahim Abdalla told the court police spotted Innes driving on River Rd, Kialla, at between 80km/h and 85km/h in a 60km/h zone on November 16, 2019.
Her licence was suspended at the time for loss of demerit points.
Her car was impounded for 30 days.
She told police at the time she thought it was an 80km/h zone and that she thought she still had her licence.
In a separate incident police saw Innes holding a phone near her mouth and talking as they pulled up next to her at a set of traffic lights at the corner of High and Thompson streets, Shepparton, on February 19, 2020.
She was also driving on a suspended driver’s licence.
The court was told in a third incident Innes was caught driving on a suspended licence in Cheltenham on March 22, 2020.
She told police at the time she thought she had her licence back.
Magistrate Marita Altman chastised Innes saying she had lost 26 demerit points in less than a year.
“This is pretty bad,” she said.
Representing herself in court, Innes said she had learned from her mistakes and had her licence back now.
She also said she need her licence for work on a farm where she worked with horses.
While fining her $2000 Ms Altman did not interfere with Innes’s driver’s licence.
“You have to keep an eye on your points,” she said.
“And you have to drive like your licence depends on it.”