Dumbarton pensioner caught using fake licence after 45 years on the road

A terminally ill pensioner, from Dumbarton, who drove without a licence for 45 years before cops caught her using a fake was slammed by a sheriff today as she was hit with a fine for her antics.

Reckless Mary Burke, who is suffering from lung cancer and only has between six months and two years to live, drove for nearly five decades - despite having never sat or passed a driving test.

The 71-year-old's fake pink paper licence was so good that the authorities were even fooled in to believing it was real when she was given penalty points for speeding in 2002.

But she has now given up driving for good and got rid of her car after her lengthy scheme spectacularly unravelled - landing the first offender in court and leaving her with a criminal record.

She previously pleaded guilty to driving her Mercedes without a licence and using a fake licence and returned to the dock at Dumbarton Sheriff Court today to be sentenced.

As he banned her from driving for a year and fined her £750, reduced from £1,000 as she admitted her guilt, Sheriff William Gallacher said: "You were utterly wilful in relation to your decision to be driving.

"You knew you were not entitled to drive and, in order to protect and preserve a pretence of normality, you had this document in your possession, for some period of time, so you could simply flout the Road Traffic Act."

He said driving tests showed that people had "the experience, quality and ability to drive" but that she ignored it, adding: "You said, 'that doesn't apply to me, I'll just drive anyway'.

"This is a very serious matter."

Defence solicitor Virgil Crawford said Burke, who lives in a static caravan, has terminal lung cancer, explaining: "She has between six months and two years in respect of that.

"She accepts she has driven for some time - even before her kids were born and when her kids were young."

After hearing that she revives £150-per-week from her pension, never planned to drive again and had let a family member get rid of her car, Sheriff Gallacher imposed the fine, allowing her to pay the fine at a rate of £15-per-week.

Burke, of Dumbarton, admitted her guilt last month, pleading guilty to breaking Section 87(1) if the Road Traffic Act 1988 by driving without a licence and Section 6(1)(a) of the Identity Documents Act 2010.

At the time, Prosecutor David McDonald revealed she handed over a document she claimed was her licence and that her scheme fell apart when they later checked the details on a database.

He explained: "A further check found she had an exp¬ired provisional licence and no proper licence.

"They believed the licence they were handed by Burke was fake.

"A DVLA review revealed her document was fraudulent.

"She was cautioned and charged and said she understood why."

A source said tonight/last night: "Her own lawyer said she'd been doing it since her kids were young and they're in their 40s.

"It's amazing to think she not only tried it but managed to get away with it for so long."