Rebekah Elizabeth Rodgers gets suspended jail sentence in Yeppoon court
A Central Queensland mother of six with a “troubling history” of committing the same offence, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Police & Courts
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A Capricorn Coast mother of six has been warned that another disqualified driving offence within the next year will see her serve actual jail time.
Rebekah Elizabeth Rodgers, 38, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on November 30 to disqualified driving.
Police prosecutor Corey O’Connor said on November 3, police intercepted Rodgers driving on Svendsen Road, Zilzie.
Checks revealed that Rodgers should not have been driving because she was court disqualified.
Mr O’Connor said Rodgers had “a troubling history” of committing this offence and while she had never been sentenced to a term of imprisonment, this time a suspended sentence may be appropriate.
Solicitor Krissy Cummins said Rodgers, a single mother of six, had recently started a new job and she was driving home from work when police caught her.
Ms Cummins said Rodgers suffered from mental health issues and she had also been diagnosed with depression.
“She is engaged with her GP,” Ms Cummins said.
The solicitor said Rodgers had struggled to work without a driver’s licence.
“She has, since this offence, given her motor vehicle away,” Ms Cummins said.
Acting Magistrate Stephen Byrne noted this was Rodgers third similar offence since May, 2021.
“On the first occasion you were fined $750 and disqualified for two years,” he said.
“On the second occasion, it was almost the anniversary of the first (offence) - you were put on probation for two years and you were disqualified again for two years.
“I appreciate your personal circumstances, however you have to comply with the law and obey the law, and not drive your motor vehicle while you’re disqualified.”
Mr Byrne sentenced Rodgers to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of 12 months.
He also disqualified her from driving for two years.
“Now, a suspended sentence means that it’s going to hang over your head for that period of 12 months ... quite obviously if you were caught driving again while disqualified, I would have thought you’d be doing a good swag of that three months (in jail).
“So if that doesn’t motivate you not to drive, I don’t know what will.”
A traffic conviction was recorded.
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