A BUSINESSWOMAN has won her appeal against the length of her driving ban by having its term slashed.

Samantha Moon, 37, from Magor, was banned from driving for 12 months for driving while disqualified in the Monmouthshire village last November.

She pleaded guilty to committing the offence on the B4245 and was also ordered to pay £800 in a fine, costs and a surcharge at Newport Magistrates' Court.

Moon, who runs a cleaning company, served three months of the 12-month ban before it was set aside pending her appeal against sentence.

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During her appeal hearing, Cardiff Crown Court was told she was initially banned for six months under the totting up procedure last August following a “series of speeding offences” between September 2020 and April 2021.

She had served three months of that ban before she was caught driving while disqualified in Magor.

Judge Paul Hobson, who was sitting with magistrates Nigel Buckland and Sharon Winter, said: “She has told us and we accept that she wanted to attend the hearing in August of last year but did not receive the notification for it and there is some support for what she said in documentation we have been provided with.

“There is an email or text message from her indicating on July 7 that she wished to attend the hearing.

“That meant she did not have the opportunity at that stage to advance mitigation in particular any exceptional hardship argument.

“That seems to us a relevant consideration albeit she is now convicted of driving while disqualified which is a particularly serious offence.

“What it amounts to is a flouting of a court order that she was well aware of.”

She has “expressed remorse and has four dependent children”, the court was told.

The appellant has "experienced difficulties" running her business while subject to the disqualification.

Moon, of Withy Close, won her appeal against sentence by having her driving ban cut from 12 months to seven months.

Judge Hobson told the appellant she would therefore have a disqualification term of four months left to run after having already served three months.