Dear oh dear, what a remarkable waste of people's time and energy!
I read recently that Kay Balsdon and her partner Chris Bates of Aldershot were visited by the police, and fined £80 for 'criminal damage'.
Their crime?
They had been painting their fence, and a few flecks of paint had spattered the neighbour's side of the fence.
The neighbour complained to the police, and the police duly threatened the couple with a court appearance etc if they didn't pay the on the spot fine.
Guess what?
After the rumpus in the media over this case, Hampshire Police have now decided to refund the fine.
What does this tell us about the "legality" of on the spot fines?
What does this tell us we should do when confronted with an on the spot fine?
I look forward to reading your answers to the above questions;)
As said though, a remarkable waste of time and energy.
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In many respects, the so called criminal justice system in our country has become just an extension of HMRC.
ReplyDeleteThis story raises two serious questions;-
1) What type of mentality reports neighbours to the police for splashed wood preservative going through an open weave fence?
2) What type of police officer responds to such a complaint and then comes up with a trumped up charge of criminal damage?
The threat of court action with extra costs, is just a ruse to ensure people pay.....I suggest it is time for people to stop paying this new tax and actually say I want my day in court.
As the police engage in this type of lunacy, with the sole objective of raising cash, so they will loose what little is remaining of their public support.
When the copper or council enforcement employee become investigator, sole witness, prosecutor, judge, jury and cashier...KERCHING... we are bound to get more and more of this type of story......We must expose these cretins to the light of publicity including the petty, vindictive neighbour that makes such complaints.
Laugh at Hi-Viz.
This is the sort of thing that should be(and certainly USED to be)worked out neighbor to neighbor without involving anyone else. Have people gotten too used to nanny fighting her battles? Have we lost our ability to problem solve even the smallest thing?
ReplyDeleteWhat concerns me is that unless you catch the Media's attention, you're basically stuffed.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you, Debbie: Idon't wish to be uncharitable, but the neighbour who complained to the police over something as trivial as this, sounds like a complete a***hole! As for 'Hampshire's Finest', the council tax payers of the county will know doubt be resting more happily in their beds, knowing that their local constabulary are using their resources to deal with such a trivial matter! "Lose what little is remaining of public support", Tonk. I fear this has been lost for sometime, and they only have themselves to blame.
ReplyDeleteBy returning the fine the police have admitted one of two things. Either the officers acted illegally or they abused their existing powers.
ReplyDeleteIf they acted illegally I would insist that they be prosecuted, the same way that any member of the public is prosecuted for such an offence.
If they abused their powers I would insist that they be disciplined, that I be informed of what disciplinary action is to be taken against them, and reserve the right to appeal to a higher authority if I considered the action to be inadequate.
Neighbour disputes are commonplace wherever you live; but it is important to know your rights.
If there is a dividing wall between two properties then some fucker actually owns it. If the guy who painted it owns it then nobody can complain about what he has done. If the guy next door owns it then it is only common courtesy to inform him that you intend painting what is half of HIS wall.
I suggest that in this case the man who painted his fence was the owner. If not, then the overzealous police would have fined him for damage to his side as well as the flecks of paint visible from his neighbours side; and if he was indeed the owner, then he has every right to tell the neighbour and the police to go and fuck off.
As Tonk says, more people should dispute these fines. There is a clear difference in law between causing criminal damage and simply being clumsy.
Dear Oh dear oh dear - if they had committed an offence, the fine should stand. If they have not committed an offence, then it should never have been issued in the 1st place - and what exactly does it say about the sad twat who called the Police instead of having a word with their neighbour? Sometimes you just lose the will to live.
ReplyDeleteNumber 6: I fear you are right: they would either be "too busy" to respond, or you would be put "on hold" and forced to listen to inane music for half an hour, whilst with monotonous regularity, a computer generated voice will inform you that "all our operators are busy at present: please hold, your call is impoertant to us". Reporting in person would be equally 'successful' as you would probably find your local police station is only open at certain times.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I have called them for a real problem with yobs in my front garden and told "no car available". Natch, if I had said I heard some one of the yobs label someone a "gay muslim" or some such the full weight of our mighty and impartial police would have descended to deal with the homophobic/hate crime. The old bill are a joke nowadays.
ReplyDelete