An Albury grandmother with a "terrible" driving record has had to wait several hours to find out whether she was returning to jail.
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Monika Frances Clarke yet again drove while disqualified because she had agreed to take two friends to a pub.
But magistrate Richard Funston ridiculed the excuse put before Albury Local Court.
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"That's rubbish," he said.
"She's a woman who's been around the traps for a long time.
"Her criminal history is absolutely appalling.
"She knows what she is doing."
That line was backed by police prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Pike.
Sergeant Pike said there were 16 occasions where Clarke either committed a major offence, had driven while disqualified or committed unlicensed driving.
"As if she doesn't know what she's doing is wrong," he said.
"I think the most appropriate penalty is full-time custody."
Mr Funston was not willing to immediately hand down his sentence for Clarke, who pleaded guilty to a second offence of driving while disqualified.
The matter put Clarke, 56, in breach of a community corrections order for another second offence of driving while disqualified and custody of a knife in a public place.
"I'm not persuaded at this stage," Mr Funston said during the mid-morning sentence hearing.
"I will sentence Ms Clarke at 3 o'clock."
Mr Funston noted the support Clarke had in court from her daughter.
"She needs someone with her because she's got a lot to worry about."
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Earlier, defence lawyer Angus Lingham said that while Clarke's offending was aggravated by having taken place while she was on the order, there was nothing aggravating in her driving.
The hotel, he said, was no more than four minutes' drive from her home.
Mr Lingham said Clarke had long battled addictions to alcohol and illicit drugs.
"On the day she agreed to be the driver for two other people who wanted to go to the hotel," he said.
Mr Lingham said that since she was charged, Clarke's daughter had taken possession of keys for a car that was at her home.
The court was told how Clarke drove a Victorian-registered BMW 320 sedan on Parkway Lane, Albury, on September 22 about 7.20pm.
Police saw Clarke stop in the Astor Hotel car park, go inside and sign the COVID-19 register and begin playing the poker machines.
Her licence was disqualified from 2012 to 2029.
Clarke received a 10-month intensive corrections order, with a further 12-month licence ban.
She must undertake alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs as directed.
