Croydon proudly prosecutes 67 year old ‘fraud’

Croydon Council has proudly prosecuted a 67 year old man for using his wife’s disabled parking permit.  The permit has been confiscated, presumably leaving the poor woman housebound.

Well, no doubt the poor man did wrong, but think of all those ‘Council enforcement officers’, CCTV, lawyers and all the rest that could have been usefully employed tracking down fly-tippers and the people who lead shed loads of litter up and down our streets, not to mention the dog owners whose pets poo everywhere - do you know the council doesn’t seem to have found or prosecuted any offenders since the 1970s?

The council press release reads,

“A shopping trip cost a Woodside man more than he had bargained for after he was found guilty of fraudulently using a disabled parking permit in central Croydon.

“Appearing before Croydon magistrates on Tuesday, Stephen Sempasa, of Gunnell Close, was convicted after denying the charge. The permit, commonly known as a blue badge, had already been confiscated by the council, and, in addition to conditionally discharging him for six months, the bench ordered him to contribute £150 toward the prosecution costs.

“The court was told that Sempasa was spotted by a Croydon civil enforcement officer, last August, while engaged on a joint partnership operation with Lambeth Council's parking services department.

“He was seen parking his car, in High Street, near the junction with Scarbrook Road, after displaying a blue-badge parking permit. He walked from the car into Surrey Street Market, where he bought some groceries before returning to the car.

“He told the court that his wife, the badgeholder, was with him at the time – a claim that was countered by officer testimony to the effect that nobody was seen with him.

“Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "This is another case of a motorist flagrantly flaunting the rules regarding the use of the blue badge and thinking he'd be able to talk his way out of it.

“"The fraudulent use of disabled blue badges is something that angers both those that use the scheme responsibly and other motorists who see it being abused – and it's an offence that we, in Croydon, will continue to combat with the full weight of the law.

“"Our partnership with Lambeth has proved very beneficial, resulting in a number of successful prosecutions, and we're grateful to our Lambeth colleagues for the advice and guidance they’ve been able to provide."