‘Stalked by death’: Tragedy that led mum living in car to face driving charge

A woman who was “stalked by death” throughout her life has been sentence for unlicensed driving while she and her children were living out of her car.

An Ipswich magistrate has acknowledged the “desperate circumstances” which led a homeless mother to drive without a licence.

Deborah Lea McBride, 49, pleaded guilty on August 26 to driving without a licence on three occasions and possessing utensils or pipes that had been used.

The court heard the offences occurred throughout 2021, and that Ms McBride and her children were homeless and living out of their car at the time.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Nick Turnbull said on the first occasion, Ms McBride was driving to the shops to buy food for her children.

“Whilst that’s no defence … if someone has hungry children, you are going to feed them,” Sergeant Turnbull said.

The court heard Ms McBride had some scattered minor criminal history and had struggled with drug use in the past.

Defence lawyer Matt Gemmell said McBride had been “stalked by death” throughout her life, with many of her relatives dying – including her parents, multiple siblings and a child.

He said Ms McBride also had a difficult childhood, was kicked out of home at age 14 and had since struggled with PTSD and anxiety.

“It was just an excessively difficult life that my client has faced,” Mr Gemmell said.

At the time of her offending, he said McBride was destitute and “suffering from what can only be described as poverty”.

“Her place of abode was her car. It was the only means of supporting her children and getting them the items that they needed,” he said.

Mr Gemmell said she had since obtained temporary housing and was now on a disability support pension.

Ms McBride was disqualified from driving for a further two years, which Magistrate Leanne Scoines said was required by law.

“It’s unacceptable for you to drive around without a licence, but you must have been in some fairly desperate circumstances,” she said.

McBride was further sentenced to serve a 12 month period of probation, and no convictions were recorded.