A woman who drove from her home in Milford all the way to Cheltenham despite only being handed a driving disqualification in court earlier that month has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Fifty-year-old Alison Marie Price, of Dewsland Street, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving whilst disqualified; and using a motor vehicle on a road without third party insurance, when she appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Abul Hussain told the court the defendant’s antecedent record showed that she had been handed a driving disqualification on May 10 - presumably for ‘totting-up’ offences he explained, and this latest misdemeanour took place on May 28.

“The circumstances are that at around 5.45 pm that day, a police officer on duty carried out a routine stop check on Ms Price’s vehicle, as it was turning onto Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven. The officer spoke to the driver and after carrying out checks discovered that she was disqualified.

“In a police interview, she said that she had been to Cheltenham and driven back on the M4.

“This is a considerable distance driven and fairly soon after the the recently imposed disqualification, for which she is currently subject to a community order,” added Mr. Hussain.

Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher said he asked his client why she had driven that day. “Up until that time, she had not told her family of her driving ban, whether that be through the shame of it, or a case of keeping up appearances.

“This might sound ridiculous, but it is some times an individual thing that some do not wish to share bad news with family members, and Ms Price was of the opinion that they might disown or shun her. They have supported her which is what was needed.

“She told me at that time, she was simply doing things at the spur of the moment, and if someone needed help, she would - which is absolutely crazy and what has landed her in court today

“She has been suffering with anxiety and depression and consulted doctors.

“Ms Price was driving her daughter’s car at the time, and tells me that she no longer has access to any vehicle.

“She knows there is a strong risk today that she could be imprisoned,” he added.

Magistrates handed Ms Price a 16 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

They also revoked her community order and started a new one, to include 180 hours of unpaid work.

She was disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £115 victim surcharge.

“You do know how close you have come to prison today, as we had to think long and hard about what we’ve heard in court, and whether it crossed the custody threshold,” chairman of the magistrates bench Roger James Mathias told the defendant.