'I'm angry': 70-year-old woman claims $608 parking fine is 'unfair'

In 52 years, 70-year-old Doria Coral has never lost demerit points or copped a fine, but now she claims she's been stitched up after a council pinged her for parking in a disabled spot.

"I'm angry, very angry. It's so unfair," Coral told A Current Affair.

She said her ordeal began during a visit to the Library at Gosford, on the Central Coast of New South Wales, when she moved towards a spot that was about to be vacated.

READ MORE: Out-of-pocket sofa customers speak out after owner of closed store opens new business

Coral said she had to move slightly towards an empty disabled parking spot to give the leaving vehicle enough room to get out of the spot she wanted.

But she explained that while she had two of her wheels slightly in the disabled park for five seconds, to make way for the other vehicle, a parking inspector took snaps of her car.

Three weeks later, she received a $603 fine and lost one demerit point.

READ MORE: Former ANZ employee dudded by own bank

"They sent me the photos. They were taken within five seconds," Coral said.

The 70-year-old said she didn't see the parking inspector because she was busy trying to make some room for the other vehicle.

"If he was right in front of me taking the photos he would have seen that I was in my car, the engine was running and I was giving way making space for an elderly couple to move out, so there was bad intention there," she said.

READ MORE: 'I didn't want to die alone': Phone charger warning after tradie suffers significant burns

While Coral agrees those who take parking spots from people living with disabilities do deserve a fine, she said it's a bit tough to penalise her after making room for another car for such a short period of time.

Coral claims one of the parking inspector's images appears to show her hand on the steering wheel.

Other images are blurred by the sun's reflection and you can't see anyone in the car, nor can you see the driver's seat.

But Central Coast Council said they can clearly see that no one is inside the vehicle.

READ MORE: Families join class action following COVID-19 aged care tragedy

"Council's parking officer, as evidenced by the attached photographs, confirmed that no person was present in the car and that the car was stopped and parked unlawfully in a disabled parking space," a council spokesperson said.

"Given that no person was in the car at this time, council rejects the position that Coral was simply reversing and stopped only for a few seconds."

Coral argues that she was in there.

The council has now rejected her appeal, which means the fine still stands.

But Coral won't back down and is now waiting on a court date.