A Shepparton mother has been told to “be more careful” by a magistrate after an incident involving a police divvy van.
The 40-year-old woman pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to failing to stop at a stop sign.
Prosecutor Robyn Lindsay said the woman was driving at the intersection of Wyndham and Hasset Sts in Shepparton at 11.37pm on January 31.
She drove straight through a stop sign and pulled out in front of a police divisional van, Ms Lindsay said.
Police fined the woman $385, but she chose to take the matter to court because she was a P-plater and was worried about loss of demerit points.
Representing herself in court, the woman said she slowed down at the stop sign but was distracted by her baby crying in the back seat.
She said she thought the stop sign was a give way sign, and she also told police at the time she “didn’t know it was a police car”.
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski told the woman she needed to be “more careful”.
“You drove straight in front of a police car,” he said.
“You’re supposed to stop at a stop sign, not slow.
“If you have an accident and the baby gets hurt, that’s your fault.”
The woman was fined $100 without conviction.
Mr Zebrowski said the loss of demerit points was not a matter for the court.