HOUSEWIFE Joanne Robinson parked her luxury Porsche in a disabled bay outside a swanky store and then lied to an enforcement officer.
The 61-year-old rushed into House of Fraser - known as Kendals - on Deansgate to exchange a swimsuit, leaving her silver Cayenne sports 4x4, with a personalised number plate, outside the rear doors on Southgate.
But she was spotted by a council officer and when she returned, Robinson was challenged about using the blue disabled person's badge in the windscreen of her car, which sells for up to £42,000.
Instead of admitting misusing the badge, Manchester magistrates' court heard Robinson said it was her mother's.
She then lied to the enforcement officer, telling him her mother was having a coffee in Marks and Spencer.
But when asked if she could contact her mother Robinson admitted she was at home in Preston.
Robinson, of Washington Lane, Euxton, Chorley, said she had been out with her mother the previous day, and the badge had been left in the screen.
Offence
She told the officer she had never misused the badge before and said: "I'm sorry. It was a silly thing to do."
She pleaded guilty to misuse of the badge and was fined £235 plus a £15 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £301 - a total of £551. The offence can attract a £1,000 fine.
The case was the latest in a series of prosecutions brought by Manchester council in a bid to crack down on blue badge cheats.
Matthew Lockett, prosecuting, told the bench the scheme was intended to give disabled people easier access to the city centre, and misuse deprived them of parking spaces as well as depriving the council of car parking fees.
Yvonne Ohamara, 31, of Wellington Street East, Salford, was ordered to pay a total of £675 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to parking on Brick Street while displaying her mother's blue badge last December.
When challenged about misusing the badge by an enforcement officer, she claimed that it was her own. But after he told her she didn't look old enough to match the stated date of birth of the holder, she admitted it was her mother's.
When asked where her mother was, she claimed she was picking up fish from the market, but then admitted she didn't know where she was.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
m_dm, Glossop (15/05/2009 at 06:44)
Almost as much rubbish as Mr Straw n co
And I'm off to Preston/Euxton today and may well return the favour as a legitimate blue badge holder!!!
Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (15/05/2009 at 07:33)
alanp, chorlton (15/05/2009 at 07:59)
uss midway, Holstein Ostsee. (15/05/2009 at 08:05)
the monkey, bolton (15/05/2009 at 08:14)
Graeme Lowe (15/05/2009 at 08:24)
Voice of Sanity (15/05/2009 at 08:25)
Laura Norder, Didsbury (15/05/2009 at 08:29)
In fact, let's have a fixed penalty - say £500 - plus costs - across the board. (I doubt anyone has ever been hit with the £1000 maximum, anyway.)
The offence may seem trivial to some people, but the 'Blue Badge' scheme is there to improve the lot of individuals who (often) have no option but to park as close to certain areas as possible.
I, for one, do not look forward to ever being in the position where I may need one.
mirt b, bury (15/05/2009 at 08:44)
make an example of what it will cost them for using other peoples
blue badge`s
then it mite get through to, there THICK-HEADS ,
these offences are more wide spread than one thinks ;
[heres hoping ] - from one who has to drive around and around looking for a place to park ,[ lets see the full costs being given to them ] BB
Tezza, Tyldesley (15/05/2009 at 08:59)
The main reason that people like this park in disabled spaces and use these badges is so that they don’t have to pay, so as I have said before make all disabled drivers pay, and then means test the ones who say that they cant afford it and if necessary give them free parking.
But as many disabled drivers will agree there are lots of people who do need bigger and more accessible spaces but who can afford to pay for there parking, and then hopefully this will stop people like this from using the spaces.
PW, Manchester (15/05/2009 at 09:20)
Rowan Boat, Manchester (15/05/2009 at 09:24)
Also, im always amazed by the amount of people i see in £60k cars - on the phone. Cant they buy a £20 headset or are they for van drivers.
If they got stopped they'd probably tell the police they should be out solving real crimes. Well, they are. its a criminal offence.
Mike S, Manchester (15/05/2009 at 09:27)
Orb the Impaler, Rochdale (15/05/2009 at 09:48)
However I'm not very impressed with the "sensationalist" tripe like "swanky", "luxury", "which costs £42000", "with personalised number plate" etc etc. It's just a load of flannel. Is this some kind of leftie witch hunt? Please cut it out.
Justified True Belief , - ... (15/05/2009 at 09:50)
What this lady did was wrong and she has paid the price (£551). Her case was not even the most serious parking case of the day, another person was fined £675 (later in the story). Having this as the second story on your website just shows what a lazy bunch of jingo journo’s you have become. I personally don’t give a hoot for parking miscreants. Why don’t you spend some time investigating and reporting on crimes that affect society?
Mary Clare (15/05/2009 at 09:54)
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (15/05/2009 at 10:07)
nicked-name, greater manchester (15/05/2009 at 10:10)
Laura Norder, Didsbury (15/05/2009 at 10:19)
"What this lady did was wrong and she has paid the price (£551). Her case was not even the most serious parking case of the day, another person was fined £675 (later in the story). Having this as the second story on your website just shows what a lazy bunch of jingo journo’s you have become. I personally don’t give a hoot for parking miscreants. Why don’t you spend some time investigating and reporting on crimes that affect society?" - Justified True Belief , - ...
Been 'nicked' for the offence, have you?
Methinks you protesteth too much...
Rick Jenks, Bury (15/05/2009 at 10:27)
sick of Thieves and Thugs, Any Town (15/05/2009 at 10:28)
nicked-name, greater manchester (15/05/2009 at 10:31)
great way to stop or at least deter these abusing the system take there driving licence away brilliant no excuse even if its so called first time no licence for at least 3 months
CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (15/05/2009 at 10:40)
Guten Tag, Manchester (15/05/2009 at 10:47)
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (15/05/2009 at 10:52)