A mum currently serving a 12-month-long driving ban has pleaded to be allowed back on the road as her children are refusing to take a taxi to school.
Louise Whelan was told by a judge that it was "inevitable" that she would suffer the consequences of her actions after she committed a string of motoring offences.
In an appearance at Wirral Magistrates Court in September, the mum-of-two received an extended ban on top of the one she is currently serving after nine further offences she committed in 2021, the Liverpool ECHO reports.
Whelan made an appearance at Liverpool Crown Court on November 24 to appeal the additional penalties, which made for a combined driving ban of three years.
The mum-of-two was caught on CCTV driving uninsured on March 2, 3, 4, and 9 2021, then on May 8 2021 she was caught driving with a defective tyre, and on September 4 the same year she was caught driving without an MOT, insurance, using a defective tyre, and with passengers in her vehicle.
The wrap sheet of offences totalled a whopping 33 points on her licence, and Whelan was banned from driving for 36 months, in addition to the existing 12-month drug driving ban she received in January.
Appealing the decision, she said that her daughters, aged 12 and 10, suffered from dyspraxia, ADHD and sleep disorders, and needed to be taken to school by car.
The court heard that a taxi had been provided by her oldest daughter's school, but that she often refused to use it.
She said: "This week (12-year-old) hasn't been going to sleep until 5am and the school taxi picks up at 7.30am and we struggle getting her up in the morning.
"The taxi, she has got to share it with another child and she doesn't like sharing taxis with other children so she's refusing, at the moment, to go to school, which is 12 miles away."
She said that her oldest daughter was only attending school "once or twice" a week, "and when she's actually in there she's only making it until 12.30pm, 1pm and they are ringing me asking if I will pick her up from school".
This led to her missing several days of a make-up course she was completing at a local college.
She added that her youngest daughter, who attends a different school to her sister, was currently being transported by members of her family.
She said: "It's very difficult having two of them and not having the car makes it difficult for me to get them to where they need to be, and not being able to take them out."
Callum Ross, defending, said: "The appellant suggests there is hardship which is of an exceptional nature that is being caused to innocent individuals in the form of her two children.
"The court has heard the children, especially (oldest daughter) is struggling and not attending very well at school.
"The court has heard from Ms Whelan that she thinks being able to drive and take her daughter to school is going to benefit her daughter in terms of accessing her education, which as a young child with learning difficulties is very important."
However, Recorder Eric Lamb said: "Exceptional hardship must be just that. A disqualification from driving will inevitably present hardship to any person."
He said: "There are arrangements in place for (oldest daughter) to be able to attend the school, with a taxi provided. It seems the appellant has already made some application to try to set the taxi back an hour to better fit in with (her daughter's) sleeping pattern.
"There are travel arrangements in place which allow (oldest daughter), if she can be persuaded, to attend school."
With regards to the youngest daughter, he said: "There are arrangements in place presently for the appellant's mother to perform the duty of getting her to school on time."
Dismissing the appeal, he added: "The evidence leads us to the conclusion that there are arrangements in place for the transport of the children which are already being provided.
"While there is inevitably hardship in this case, we're not persuaded that this hardship or disqualification is exceptional."
