An Irvinestown motorist who had three previous convictions for driving without insurance was disqualified from driving for six months when she appeared before Fermanagh Magistrates Court.

Maeve Fiona Garrity (29) from Flax Valley in Irvinestown pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, failure to wear a seat belt and failing to produce her licence.

The court heard that on 3rd August last year police stopped the defendant driving a silver Peugeot car at Mill Street in Irvinestown for not wearing a seat belt.

She was asked to produce her licence and insurance but failed to do so.

Defending, Aisling Montague said her client could have applied to her GP for an exemption from wearing her seat belt but she hadn't.

Ms Montague said her client says she was insured under her mother's policy but because she couldn't produce documentary proof of this she was pleading to the charge.

Ms Montague said her client had three points on her licence and had a relevant record. The court heard the defendant's licence is essential to her and that she was trying to make a living for herself with a small business.

Sentencing, Resident Magistrate Liam McNally said there were strong mitigating factors but he couldn't overlook three previous convictions for no insurance.

"If your licence was that important to you, you should have ensured all your driving documents were in order" Mr McNally told the defendant and imposed a £250 fine and six months disqualification for driving without insurance. For no seat belt the defendant was fined £50 and for failure to produce a licence she was fined £25.

Following an application for her solicitor the defendant was granted bail of £300 to appeal the sentence with permission given to drive pending the outcome of the appeal.