A mum of three caught driving while banned tried to get out of trouble by pretending to be her sister, a court has heard.


Charlie Green, 25, of Mansfield Mews, Quedgeley risked being jailed for the offence because she was subject to an eight month suspended prison sentence at the time she drove, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Green pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and while disqualified on 30th August last year in Cole Avenue, Gloucester. She also admitted obstructing police by giving her sister's name when she was stopped.

She was subject to a 14 months disqualification that had been imposed, together with an eight month suspended sentence, for an earlier offence of driving dangerously, said prosecutor Alistair Haggerty.

He said the police officer did not believe Green's lie about her identity and carried out a mobile fingerprint test which proved who she was.

"She then admitted who she was and said her sister was not aware that she had registered the car in her name."


Green had four previous criminal convictions, said Mr Haggerty.

Mary Cowe, defending, said Green, who has three children, had taken the decision to drive that day because the youngest child was suffering an asthma attack at school and she went to collect him.

Probation officer Joanne Hall told the court that Green's compliance with her previous suspended sentence order had caused concern.

She had attended only 12 of 21 probation appointments although her excuses for five absences had been accepted.

"She does have three children, but she has attended on only 5 out of 30 rehabilitation sessions," the probation officer said,

The judge, Recorder Andrew Langdon QC, had mercy on Green and decided not to activate the eight month suspended sentence.

He sentenced her to an extra six months supervision and a 12 months community order with 15 days of rehabilitation activities.

Before Green left the dock the Recorder told her "I don't accept that the account you gave of the reason for your driving that day is a good one. "I know an asthma attack can be a frightening thing but it is not an excuse for driving while disqualified, let alone for committing the offences during the period of a suspended sentence.

"I am finding it very difficult to think of reasons why I should not send you immediately to prison today to serve that sentence while your mother looks after your children.

"Many judges would say it is not unjust to send you to prison and that you have got it coming. But I am thinking of your children and the consequences for them."