A MUM lied to police and said her uninsured daughter had taken her car without permission after officers caught her behind the wheel.

But on the day her child was appearing before magistrates, Jillian Lancashire admitted to the prosecutor she had allowed her to borrow the vehicle.

The 54-year-old ended up in the dock, where she admitted perverting the course of justice.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court police saw Michelle Foss, 32, behind the wheel at Tesco in Ocotal Way on December 4 last year.

He said she only had an expired provisional licence and the vehicle was registered to Lancashire at her home address, with insurance in her name alone.

“She was spoken to by the police in relation to her daughter’s use of the vehicle and spun a pack of lies: that her daughter filched the key from her when she wasn’t there,” he said.

“Michelle Foss was arrested and spoken to and acknowledged she drove without insurance or a licence but didn’t without consent.”

Lancashire, of Montrose Close, Moredon, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and permitting a driver to use a vehicle without insurance or a licence.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client was appearing before a court for the first time having admitted a serious offence.

He said “It is right Mrs Lancashire went to court and told them that what she said was incorrect.

“Her daughter hadn’t been in custody for any period apart from when she was arrested and charged with this matter.”

He urged the court to suspend any sentence as she also cares for her 80-year-old mother and had just had an operation on her hip.

Passing sentence, Judge Douglas Field said: “As you heard Mr Ross say, these offences are serious and often met with custodial sentences.”

He said he had taken the mitigating factors into account and decided to be merciful.

He jailed her for nine months suspended for a year and imposed an eight-week curfew between 8pm and 7am. Her licence was also endorsed with six penalty points.