An uninsured motorist who drove an untaxed car with defective tyres has been handed a six-month driving ban.

Ciara Ann Kaneen, of Heather Crescent, Pulrose, was sentenced when she appeared before magistrates last week.

The 29-year-old already had five points on her licence and was disqualified under the totting up process.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court thatKaneen was seen by police while she was driving a Ford Focus on November 21 at 8.40am.

She was outside Anagh Coar School and was spoken to by police about the condition of the car.

It was said to have three defective tyres with cord exposed on one of the front ones, and a defective headlight.

The vehicle licence had also expired in October 2019.

Kaneen was given five days to produce insurance but no documents were ever produced.

When interviewed by police Kaneen told officers she had borrowed the car from a relative and didn’t know it had any defects or that it was untaxed.

She said she had been in a rush that morning and thought she had insurance.

In court she pleaded guilty to three counts of having a defective tyre, one of having no insurance, one of failing to produce a driving licence, one of having no vehicle licence, and one of failing to maintain lights.

The court heard that she had received five points for speeding on a previous occasion.

Defence advocate Paul Glover said that Kaneen had been using her relative’s car due to issues with her own vehicle.

’She borrowed the car and didn’t notice anything particularly wrong,’ said the advocate.

’But she accepts it was her responsibility to ensure the car was roadworthy.

’It was a relatively short distance driven.

’The police allowed her to drive it back to Pulrose.

’She is now back using her own vehicle.’ Mr Glover went on to say that Kaneen was a carer for her father and asked that she be spared disqualification.

However, magistrates endorsed her licence with seven points for the no insurance offence bringing her total points to 12.

She was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs which she will pay, along with the fine at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.