A woman who was banned from driving was seen driving away from the court only moments after the judge announced his decision. Simara Knopka was disqualified from operating a vehicle at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday, November 5, only to leave the area at the wheel of her car, Manchester Evening News reports. Looks like she didn’t learn her lesson!
- Knopka doesn’t have a good record behind the wheel. The reason the judge banned her from driving in the first place is that she drove the wrong way down the M60 highway and smashed into another car head-on. This alone is bad enough, but the fact is that Knopka has never taken or passed a UK driving test or held a license in the country.
- She was arrested again on Friday, November 6. After photos and video appeared showing Knopka behind the wheel leaving the courthouse, she was arrested yet again and taken before Manchester Magistrates Court on November 6, where she fully admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance.
- Her lawyer claimed there was a good explanation. According to Knopka’s lawyer, John Mitchell, she only drove to court because her ride never showed up despite the fact that she was already at that time subject to an interim ban. “In the weeks leading up to the court case I spoke with her and her ex-husband and it became apparent that she was struggling to deal with the ongoing case,” Mitchell explained. “She was finding it very stressful. Her husband told me she has not been eating and sleeping. Arrangements had been made for her to be taken to court by a family friend and they did not turn up. She tells me that she was concerned about being late for court that she took the decision to drive to court herself.” Sure, sounds legit.
- She’s now been put in jail. A judge told Knopka that he believed that she “could not be trusted” and decided to hold her in custody until she goes back for sentencing again on December 4.
