£1,000 bill for blue badge cheat

Pete Bainbridge

September 18, 2009

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Kevin Brannan

A MAN has been ordered to pay £1,000 after he was caught using his mother-in-law's disabled parking badge in the city centre.

Kevin Brannan, 54, was spotted after he parked at a pay-and-display outside his wife's sandwich shop on Houldsworth Street.

District Judge Duncan Birrell warned that blue-badge cheats were making people 'cynical' about the disabled parking scheme.

He said: "This scheme exists to provide access to those people who otherwise would not have access to public spaces, and its importance is obvious to the wider community.

"The misuse of blue badges undermines public confidence in the scheme and causes the public to be cynical towards the scheme.

"Persistent misuse of these badges contributes to that."

Brannan, of Chappell Road, Droylsden, denied misusing a blue badge in his silver Honda in November last year.

He was found guilty after a trial at Manchester Magistrates Court.

Judge Birrell said: "It was a clear and compelling case against you.

Evidence

"You chose to test all the evidence and can't receive credit for an early guilty plea."

Brannan was fined £250 and must also pay £750 court costs.

Three other blue-badge cheats have been hit with bills totalling £1,700.

The motorists were all convicted of blue badge misuse at Manchester Magistrates Court.

Housewife Jayne Grice, 50, from Conwy in north Wales, was found guilty after she illegally parked her Mercedes - with a personalised number plate - on St Ann Street in February.

Grice, who had changed the expiry date on the badge, was fined £610, with £392.83 costs. Lubna Sherazi, 44, of Coleby Avenue, Old Trafford, was fined £100 with £269.57 costs after pleading guilty.

Her Nissan Micra was seen parked on York Street in March, displaying a badge that had expired in 2006.

Piefang Mok, 48, of Moorside Road, Swinton, was fined £120 with £222.31 costs after pleading guilty.

Council officers saw her silver Mercedes, displaying her mother's blue badge, while her mother was at home.

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tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (18/09/2009 at 08:55)

Good - glad this person got caught and fined.

Haytch, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 09:07)

Pathetic! Hardly the crime of the century is it! He gets sent to court but theses perverts on the street get let off! What a joke.

Local lad, outsidethebox (18/09/2009 at 09:53)

At last these scummy people who make life difficult for people who are disabled .They think its not a crime,But if they really cared for others rather than thenselves maybe then life could be easier for the dissabled.

Panzer 391, Salford (18/09/2009 at 10:10)

Ive got access to a Blue Badge as my mum is disabled, I WOULDNT DREAM OF USING IT FOR MY BENEFIT,NO WAY.
Thing is in this barmy country of ours I wonder if long term unemployed people who bogusly get these incapacity benefits are entitled to them too ? or maybe not for that depression thing they say they have.

essex (18/09/2009 at 10:21)

About time somebody started checking some of these blue badge users,you see some people getting out of the car more or less running , when other people are paying for parking their cars

rocketmanu, Ex Old Trafford (18/09/2009 at 10:41)

Driving a Merc. Used another persons badge... How tight is that?

If the badge holder is genuinely disabled then that person must realise that she must be causing inconvenience of even distress to someone who needs this benefit.

Try the Metrolink in the morning in to the city centre with rest of us that don't have the luxury of a Merc!

nicked-name, greater manchester (18/09/2009 at 10:41)

brannan should be made to push a wheel chair for miles i have done it for a mate thats in a chair and its hard work as there was no parking for the people that really needed it bone idol waste of space plus boycot his wifes butty shop in houldsworth street hit them where it hurts in the pocket

J smith (18/09/2009 at 10:42)

£1000 fine for misusing a blue badge
£500 fine for punching ,kicking and urinating on a 54 year old woman.

Nice to know the judges have got their priorities sorted

Haytch, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 11:00)

Here here J Smith

I understand that people who have genuine disabled badges are annoyed but the criminal Justice system stinks. Get these perverts, rapists, thugs and thieves sorted first!! WHy do they not have to go to court? The CPS are scared of serious criminals but splash this guy all over the papers. Im not agreeing with preventing genuine disabled people parking facilities, honestly I'm not. I just wish they would get the real low life scum off the street

Artisan (18/09/2009 at 11:30)

Rather than imposing a fine, would it not be a more effective punishment to make the culprits of this crime cope with some disability themselves? If their ankles could be chained together so their stride was limited to 40cm, they might begin to understand how mobility can be a real challenge to some people. Perhaps a bell should be put in the middle of the chain for repeat offenders or people who pleaded "not guilty" so others would know why they were handicapped in that way - for having been incorrigibly selfish.

BluePurgatory, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 11:42)

I have never ever witness a disabled person yet alight from a vehicle displaying a badge. The ones I have seen are fit and abled bodied and always seem to be driving a flashy car. Would it not be poetic justice if these cheats one day actualy need one.

Rob Wilson (18/09/2009 at 11:53)

At last a judge talking sense (or was it a magistrate?).
Should be a set fine for this though, at least a grand each time.
All the people moaning about comparisons to other offences under other judges - just because someone may get off with a serious crime doesnt mean this judge is wrong for doing whats right in this case. Start at the bottom. Or do you think its ok to park in a disabled space?

Englisc Stannes, North Manchester (18/09/2009 at 12:01)

Looks like a need for a big poster on billboard time. "SHAME, SHAME, SHAME".

Local lad, outsidethebox (18/09/2009 at 12:13)

BluePurgatory, Manchester
You need to open your eyes i see these dissabled people each day with wheelchairs and walking sticks Etc.I know what you mean i also see a lot of able bodied people running into the stores and i also see some very young/healthy people running to their cars parked on disabled spaces. "No shame" they dont give a toss where they park.

Esso Blue, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 12:14)

He only went in for a cheese & brannan pickle sandwich

MPs gravy train, UK (18/09/2009 at 12:46)

J Smith - did you read the article. He wasn't fined £1000. He was fined £250 and then was told to pay £750 costs as he had refused to accept an earlier court decision and that meant a second court case.

Dionne Richardson (18/09/2009 at 13:08)

Brilliant picture....watch out Brannans about....Very concerned badge holder...D Richardson Moss side Manchester...

Tezza, Tyldesley (18/09/2009 at 13:28)

These people use disabled badges and park in disabled bays because they are free…… so charge and the majority would not park in them

Ben'sDad, WA4 (18/09/2009 at 14:32)

The problem with Blue Badge cheats - and people who park on pavements, on double yellow lines etc - is that they genuinely think they haven't done anything wrong. It's no good arguing that the authorities have their priorities wrong: they go after the offenders they know they can prosecute. Just because a BB cheat hasn't committed a more serious crime doesn't mean they shouldn't be punished. I particularly liked the Merc driver with a personalised number plate being caught. How gratifying. Can we start a debate about what we think of people with personalised number plates?

bluetony (18/09/2009 at 16:38)

Why does everyone assume that a blue badge holder has to be a wheelchair bound physical wreck? My father has a blue badge and on a good day can be fairly quick on his feet. These moments are fleeting however, and half an hour later his mobility can be much changed. He also gets very confused and disorientated outdoors and it is therefore important to park close to his destination if possible. It is also possible that he is picked up by myself or my mother on occasions, again requiring use of a blue badge. So next time you see a blue badge holder who doesn't fall out of the day on to the road begging for help, consider ALL the possibilities.

jeffb, buxton (18/09/2009 at 17:18)

I am a blue badge holder, my disability is not obvious but my GP advised me to apply for a blue badge to extend my ability to walk, I spent 26 years as a firefighter and an injury on duty caused my condition, so please when you see someone alight their car and walk away from a car displaying a blue badge do not think they are milking the system I would happily exchange my disability for the loss of the blue badge.

Sir Hugo White-Wong, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 17:56)

Well here we go again with the lowest of the low. One man whose wife owns a sandwich shop and two others both driving Mercedes cars. These people are clearly able to afford to pay for their parking but choose to do the despicable. Time for a fixed penalty of £1000 I think.

Barney Gumball LLB Hons (18/09/2009 at 18:29)

Have a listen to the track 'Blue Badge Abuser' on the album CSI Ambleside by Half Man, Half Biscuit... it's very funny.

Andanotherthing, Mcr (18/09/2009 at 18:41)

The most annoying thig about shopping with my sister is the disabled parking space. Just like the mother..( family ) one. I would shop for her and cheaper. I had a kid once it is 25, can I park a little bit clioser.

Is It Me? (18/09/2009 at 20:40)

Haytch. Great post! There are two types of crime in Britain.1)Crime against the person,mugging,rape,burglary,paedophilia,murder,terrorism,etc. 2) Crime against the State,parking,bin overfilling,speeding,non payment of rates,dropping litter,etc.
The first one,COSTS the state money through imprisonment so sentences are light in order to reduce costs. The second one involves RAISING money so sentences are disproportionally heavier than 1) to raise money to feed the growing army of people who enforce the law. eg.bin inspectors!
IT STINKS!

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