UK NEWS
LITTER FINE FOR WAR HERO WHO DROPPED HIS PARKING TICKET
Magistrates said the case should never have been brought before the court
By Nick Fagge
HIDEBOUND officials had a disabled war hero taken to court for littering after he dropped a parking ticket on the ground – even though he picked it up seconds later.
The case against former soldier Nassir Abaid Khan was thrown out by magistrates who said it should never have been brought.
Mr Khan, 44, who served in the special forces during the first Gulf War in 1990-91, was given a parking ticket for leaving his car outside a barber’s shop in Blackburn, Lancs, last summer without displaying his disabled sticker.
Realising he had forgotten to display the distinctive blue badge, he confronted parking attendant Sharon Wallbank and showed her his disabled pass, but she refused to cancel the ticket.
In his frustration Mr Khan tried to stick the ticket on the warden’s jacket but it fell to the floor, the court heard.
The former soldier picked up the notice immediately and took it to the town hall, where officials cancelled it.
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The parking ticket clearly wasn’t left on the street because it is here in court today.
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But two weeks later Mr Khan was sent a penalty notice through the post accusing him of littering.
He decided to fight the charge in court, rather than simply pay the fine.
His lawyer Simon Farnsworth told Blackburn magistrates: “The parking ticket clearly wasn’t left on the street because it is here in court today.
“It was produced at the town hall within minutes of being put on the windscreen.”
As a not guilty verdict was returned, magistrates told Mr Khan: “On the evidence put before us we feel this matter should never have been brought before the court.”
The court also criticised the traffic wardens who brought the proceedings for being inconsistent in their evidence.
Speaking after the hearing Mr Khan, a prison officer, said: “I’m sure the people who live in the borough can think of much better ways to spend their money.
“I could just have paid the fixed penalty for littering and that would have been the end of it but I knew that was wrong.”
Mr Khan was awarded three service medals and earned a special commendation for his bravery fighting on the front line during Desert Storm.
But while training to get into the SAS in 1999 he broke his back.
The accident almost severed his spine, leaving him registered disabled and on medication.
Last night Barrie Segal, of the drivers’ pressure group Appeal Now condemned the charge.
He said: “This is an astonishing waste of money and a senseless attack on a man who has made real sacrifices in the defence of this country.
“It is the sort of mindless act by parking officials that upsets members of the public so much.”
LITTER BUG
23.01.09, 8:49am
All is not seems with this individual.
He was never in the SAS and actually verbally assaulted and intimidated the Traffic Warden.
There have been a lot of revelations in the local paper about this incident and in fact it is now being questioned if he is disabled.
Below is the link to the local news report:
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburn/4063639.Blackburn_war_hero_taken_to_court_for_dropping_parking_ticket/
• Posted by: easymonies • Report Comment
WHAT A LOAD OF TOSSERS
22.01.09, 11:49pm
I know they are just doing there job, but what a tw*t. I had a problem parking at a pay and display car park the other week, the car park was very full, and the machine near my car was out of order, so i had to walk about 100 yards to the other side of the car park, when i got back, there was a parking warden with a trainee, the trainee said excuse me, is this your vehicle? I said yes and here is the ticket (I had been gone 2 minutes) he said you are lucky, we nearly booked you then. Its not as if I could have got a ticket on the way in, i didnt know if there was any spaces available, and the pay and display is right next to double yellow lines, no doubt had the car been on those for 20 seconds I would have a letter through the door the next week. WHAT THE FU*K AM I SUPPOSED TO DO YOU BUNCH OF RETARDS !!!!!!!
• Posted by: Manc_Mike • Report Comment
BUNCH OF COMPLETE MORONS
22.01.09, 7:50pm
These Traffic Wardens are out of control like the Met, as they are now all Civil Enforcement officers as well (PCSO's on steroids),
we better beware before Gordo and Jaqui Spliff issue them with Tasers and CS spray. As Mr Khan picked up the ticket there was no physical evidence, and if it was subject to common law rather than fixed penalty, there was no "mens rea" or criminal intent. The only crime was the spiteful warden and equally incompetent council officials wasting public money on something that any reasonable magistrate would chuck out . They should pay Mr Khan costs out of their own pockets.
• Posted by: robred • Report Comment
WELL, HARRI....
22.01.09, 7:42pm
What emerged very clearly from your example was the ATTITUDE of those wardens. Our I.Q. on a general level sucks. I only mentioned the female aspect because they seem to carry their sex war with them out into the world. I had a motorhome, it was really nice, and decided to cruise the southwest for the beauty and the ambience. We were deterred by every council, everywhere it was pay, pay pay. Even to stop by a shop for five minutes. I got sick of the English attitudes and went on a ferry to France. What an unbelievable difference. Parking free. Toilets with showers. Welcomed everywhere. It was like "hey, we're all grown up here". Spain almost as good. Portugal in some ways better. One has to travel to fully understand how petty and silly this country has become, and the danger is - it's becoming so ingrained we may not change for generations.
• Posted by: bluenote • Report Comment
THE ROTTEN VENAL GOVERNMENT HAS ITS PRIORITIES ALL WRONG...
22.01.09, 7:21pm
Personally,I could,nt care less if he wiped his ar** with it and stuck it to our leaders head...this vile government has all the time to persecute litter crime while rewarding the criminals who have ruined our lives and our country,I would say that this is... "The betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith" treachery. TREASON
No one voted for a government that is hell bent on destroying them.
• Posted by: Moronamid • Report Comment
TO BE FAIR... HE WAS LITTERING.
22.01.09, 5:39pm
He actually discarded the ticket in a public place!
Now we know what to do... Stick it in a private place...
MAYBE WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE???
• Posted by: JackDoff • Report Comment
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