Female ex-soldier, 36, caught driving her Mercedes despite being banned, having ... trends now
A glamorous former soldier who was caught flouting a driving ban with no insurance or MOT has escaped with a £120 fine after claiming she suffered severe bouts of postnatal depression since leaving the army to have children.
Royal Engineers veteran Chauncey Ellis-Smith, 36, was said to have served her country with distinction was stopped by police in her Mercedes V220, which retail brand new from £72k, after officers were alerted to the fact her car had an expired MOT.
She had been previously disqualified for six months for speeding and was not insured to drive the car.
Ellis-Smith, who served in the army between 2006 and 2013, later claimed she had only driven a short distance to remove items from a storage unit after being 'pressured' by the company to pay a bill.
The mother-of-five said she had been struggling with postnatal depression, which affects around one in ten women who give birth, and had 'a lot on her plate' while 'struggling' to cope with parenting responsibilities.
Former army member Chauncey Ellis-Smith was caught driving while banned without insurance and on an expired MOT
Ellis-Smith leaving Sefton magistrates court with her husband. She escaped with just a £120 fine and a further driving ban of three months
The mother-of-five was previously disqualified from driving for speeding, but told the court she was suffering from severe bouts of post natal depression
At Sefton magistrates court, Ellis-Smith, from Anfield, Liverpool pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, without insurance or a valid MOT. She was also banned from driving for a further three months and ordered to pay £133 in costs.
Alex Farrow, prosecuting, said: 'On March 11 of this year, police were on mobile patrol on Derby Road in Bootle when they spotted a Mercedes which was showing on the Police National Computer as having an expired MOT. 'Officers followed the vehicle until it came to a natural stop at the Kangaroo self-storage company.
'They spoke to the driver who identified herself as Chauncey Ellis- Smith, or Mrs McCormick. Checks showed that the defendant was a disqualified driver at the time. She was disqualified until April 5 of this year and was not named on the insurance policy.'
Ellis-Smith was banned in October last year after being caught speeding in an Audi. Court records showed she asked to be spared a ban on the grounds of 'exceptional hardship.'
In mitigation, defence solicitor John
