Nurse blames dead mother

A GOLD Coast nurse twice tried to blame her mother for speeding when her car was caught on camera.

The problem? Her mum died years ago.

The ghosts of Susan Mary McDonald, 41, caught up with her yesterday when she pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court to fraud and two counts of making a false declaration.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Lewis Butterfield told the court the single mum was caught by speed cameras on September 2, 2017 and March 5 this year.

It was not known how fast McDonald was travelling or in which suburbs.

Sen-Const Butterfield said weeks after the first ticket McDonald signed a statutory declaration in front of a Justice of the Peace which stated that her mother was driving.

“Later investigations revealed that her mother had died in 2016,” he told the court.

When she received a second speeding ticket in March this year, McDonald again went to a Justice of the Peace and signed a statement saying her mother was driving.

Sen-Const Lewis said it was not until after the second statement that police began to investigate.

Magistrate Pam Dowse placed McDonald on a $5000 good behaviour bond for 12 months.

“This was a very bad decision that you made,” she said.

Ms Dowse said it was in McDonald’s favour that her deception did not impact anyone else’s licence.

She commended McDonald for working three jobs.

“It’s a very determined attempt in providing for your family,” she said.

Ms Dowse read out a reference in support of McDonald which sang praises of her abilities as a nurse, particularly her patient and wound care.

McDonald’s solicitor Sophie Dagg, of Go To Court Lawyers, said McDonald was a single mother of three children. She said she worked three jobs as a nurse to try to provide for her family.

“In the lead-up to her offences she was going through a severe domestic violence relationship,” she said.

Ms Dagg said it was McDonald’s second relationship which resulted in her being left with serious injuries.

She said McDonald was not worried about the fine but about the possibility of losing her licence.

“Regretfully she made a very bad decision that she opted to do what she did instead of losing demerit points,” she said.

The court was told the tickets had been reissued to McDonald was paying them off.