A BANNED MOTORIST who parked her Audi on a pedestrian crossing in view of police officers has appeared in court.

Karolina Joanne Riley should not have been on the road at all because she was supposed to be serving a six-month driving disqualification.

The crossing was next to a community centre and some shops.

Melanie Ibbotson, prosecuting, said Riley told police: "Her front seat passenger was disabled and they were only going to be two minutes."

She claimed she had left her driving licence at home, and when told by police she was disqualified from driving, she claimed she thought the driving ban had finished, said the prosecutor.

The 39-year-old did not attend court last week when she should have done to face justice and was arrested on a warrant.

Brought before York magistrates, Riley, of Haig Street, Selby, pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, driving a car without a valid MOT certificate and parking on a pedestrian crossing.

York magistrates told her she had a "cavalier" attitude towards her driving licence and banned her for three more months.

They warned her that if she was caught driving during the ban, it was likely she would be jailed.

"You must understand you cannot drive until February 28," they told her.

They also ordered her to pay a total of £492 consisting of a £370 fine, £85 prosecution costs and a £37 statutory surcharge.

Riley, who represented herself, told the court she earned £370 a week working full-time on a production line.

She also denied telling the police officers that she had a driving licence at home.

"I told the police straightaway I didn't have a driving licence," she said.

Riley was banned in November 2020 for six months until May 4, 2021, under the totting up procedure because she had too many points on her licence.

Ms Ibbotson said police on duty in Selby on April 14, 2021, saw her park an Audi on a pedestrian crossing on Scott Street, Selby and challenged her.

They carried out checks on her and her car.

Those revealed the driving ban, that the car's MOT certificate had expired on March 24 and it wasn't taxed.

Because she was disqualified she couldn't have valid insurance for her driving, said Ms Ibbotson.

Riley claimed she was "just moving the car" from where her husband had left it and that her brother was a mechanic.

Her husband, she said, dealt with all the bills and all matters relating to the car.

She had told the police officers on April 14 that he had known about the expired MOT.

In court, she said she and her husband had broken up and he had left her with large debts.