1 week ago
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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 Brown said, 'She had adhered to the disqualification but on the day in question her husband was away working. She had been getting hounded by a lock up company to remove some items from the lock up.
'There was a bike and a rug and a few other bits and bobs and the company wanted £200. She did not have it and was unable to pay so was threatened with legal action. It would not have happened but one can imagine how she would have felt.
'She also told the officer that she was going there to remove items from the lock up. She drove a very short distance to the lock up with the intention of removing the items and going back home.
'It was towards the end of the disqualification and a short distance had been driven. There was no allegation of bad driving. She was entirely cooperative when stopped and spoken to.'
Mr Brown added: 'Her husband fits security cameras so he works away a lot. They are parents to five children under the age of 15. She has a daughter from a previous relationship who is 15 and the other children are ages seven, five, four and six months old.
'The defendant has a great deal on her plate as it were and she has suffered significantly with postnatal depression. The baby is six months old now. The baby was four months old when the offence was committed.
'She has served the army with some distinction between 2006 and 2013, with the Royal Engineers. She never saw active service in Afghanistan but did work abroad in Germany and other places. She left for family reasons.
Ellis-Smith also claimed she had to drive to a storage unit in order to remove her items after the company asked her to pay a £200 bill
The Royal Engineers veteran was said to have served her country 'with distinction' in Germany between 2006 and 2013
The mother's defence solicitor also argued that she had 'a lot on her plate' while 'struggling to cope' with parenting responsibilities
'She is clearly struggling to cope at the moment with responsibilities of having to look after five children while her husband works away a lot to keep the family going. Currently she has four children who really rely on her 24 hours a day seven days a week.
'All have after-school clubs, and sports activities at the weekend. When the husband is home, he shares those responsibilities but he has no choice but to work to keep it all going. She got her licence back in April. She has gotten used to driving again. She is fully insured and fully MOTed.
'She is absolutely devastated to come to court as a person who respects authority and who has served the Queen and country. She has a criminal record and that has upset her and made her anxious.'
Sentencing, JP Robert Waugh said: 'We have taken into account your remorse, how close it was to the end of your disqualification and also your post-natal depression - however, you were driving while disqualified and that needs to be marked with an appropriate sentence.
'Until your licence is returned you must not drive any vehicle on the public highway. That includes those electric scooters.'
