An unemployed single mother who appeared in Magistrates' Court for a domestic matter was ordered to pay $2,230 or serve 208 days in prison yesterday.

Donna Monks narrowly escaped a long stint at the Co-ed facility, finally being released from Hamilton Police station at about 2.30 p.m. yesterday.

Acting Magistrate Edward King bound over 43-year-old Monks for the domestic matter which brought her to plea court but ended up ordering her into Police custody to either pay outstanding fines or go directly to jail.

The turn-around happened as Monks was about to leave the courtroom and court clerks pointed out that she had several unpaid fines.

Mr. King ordered Monks to pay two fines handed down in April 1997 of $240 each or serve 24 days in prison for each count.

He also asked her why she had disregarded a court order handed down last year to pay fines of $750 and $1,000. Those fines carried default prison terms of 120 days and 6 months respectively.

The court heard that Monk is unemployed and has a five-year-old daughter which she claimed made it impossible to pay her fines immediately.

Seemingly unaffected Mr. King said: "I beat Tom with the same stick that I beat Harry. I have no favourites.'' Duty counsel DeClan McKervey said: "Your honour, this is a single mother.'' To which Mr. King pointed out that his mother was as well.

"I was not born with any silver spoon in my mouth,'' he said. The woman was ordered to make the payments by the end of the day or serve 208 days in prison.