On a busy morning at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this week, fines and costs totalling £4920 were imposed on drivers’ who gave a variety of excuses, ranging from innocently finding a badge to not understanding the small print.
First up was father-of-four Tilal Mohammed, 63, (pic. bottom right) of Twynholm Mansions, Lillie Road, Fulham, who pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a blue badge in Rockley Road, Shepherd’s Bush on April 22, last year.
Prosecuting for Hammersmith & Fulham council Champa Gurnani told the court the local authority has a “zero tolerance policy” towards abusers of the blue badge disabled parking scheme.
“It is an offence that is happening non-stop on double yellow lines and pay-and-display bays and legitimate blue badge holders are finding parking spaces taken up by the able-bodied.”
Mohammed’s black Nissan hybrid electric vehicle was found parked in a restricted area by an officer on patrol, with his absent autistic eight year-old son’s blue badge displayed on the dashboard.
“The officer believed the badge was being misused because the defendant was the sole occupant of the car and admitted it was his son’s badge.
“He said that his son was at school and he had parked to get himself a snack from Lidl. He disputed that he misused the badge and did not know it was an offence.”
The council asked for their full £554 costs in each case, but this was rarely awarded by the magistrates.
“Why should local taxpayers have to pay the prosecution costs? Mr Mohammed should pay the full costs of the case for using the blue badge,” said Ms Gurnani.
“I sincerely apologise, it was my fault,” he told the court. “We have an autistic child and life is quite hard.
“We had the paperwork and we did not look at it. I had no intention to break the law and have never been in trouble.”
The recent father of newborn twins, Mohammed, who also has an eighteen year-old complained money was tight regarding any financial penalty because he was still repaying a Universal Credit benefits loan.
“I did not realise the child had to be with me at all times to use the blue badge. I had just dropped him off at school.
“Our child does not sleep at night, we have to keep him occupied and life is too frantic to sit down and check the small print. I am not familiar with the blue badge.”
Magistrate Sonia Henley told Mohammed: “You have been straightforward and put your hands up and pleaded guilty.
“You are of good character and admit it was your fault and say you did not understand and only had the blue badge a couple of weeks.
“Your life is stressful and chaotic and that is not an excuse, but is a reason that can be put into the mix.”
He was fined £40, with £200 costs and ordered to pay a £16 victim surcharge.
Next up was self-employed Daniel Spiers, 64, (pic. top left) of Thompson Avenue, Richmond-upon-Thames who pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a blue badge in Southerton Road, Hammersmith on February 15, last year.
His white Citroen van was spotted by a warden parked in a RingGo parking bay with a blue badge displayed.
Checks revealed the blue badge had been cancelled thirteen months earlier as the holder was deceased and the van was towed and impounded.
Spiers had to pay approximately £350 to release his van and told the court the blue badge belonged to his deceased friend, who he had assisted with hospital visits and shopping for twenty years.
“I took care of him every night and took him to hospital.” he told the court.
“I parked there, yes. I apologise. I never had time for the RingGo and it was the only parking space.”
The magistrates fined Spiers £146, with £250 costs, plus a £58 victim surcharge and Chairperson Ms Henley told him: “You had the blue badge for a year and you made no effort to pay for parking your van in a restricted area.”
Nancy Chahine, 37, (pic. bottom middle) of Almond Avenue, Ealing had previously pleaded guilty by post to unlawfully using a blue badge to park her white Honda in Bulwer Street, Hammersmith on June 11, last year.
She was fined £250, with £554 costs and ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and appeared in court to negotiate an instalment plan, which was agreed at £50 per month.
Jamie Leonard, 35, (pic. top middle) of Evenwood Close, Putney used a disabled badge to conveniently park his white Citroen diesel while moving home.
He pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a blue badge that had been reported stolen in Tynemouth Street, Fulham on September 30, last year.
It had been canceled fifteen months earlier and when he returned to the vehicle Leonard was unable to give the correct name of the badge holder.
“The council’s case is not that he stole the blue badge, but was using it and we have a zero tolerance policy,” said Ms Gurnani.
Leonard was assisted by court duty solicitor Stuart Harris, who said: “He explained that he was moving and parked there to make it easier to load.
“He borrowed the badge from another and had no idea of its history and he lost his job a few weeks ago. He only had it for one night.”
Leonard was fined £146, with £250 costs and was ordered to pay a £58 victim surcharge.
Electrician Khalil Mohammed Salih, 48, (pic. top right) of Southam House, Adair Road, North Kensington claimed he found a discarded disabled blue badge on the pavement and intended to hand it in at a Post Office.
However, it was visible on the dashboard of his red Toyota parked in a RingGo bay in Bagley’s Lane, Fulham on April 30, last year.
The badge had been stolen fifteen months earlier and Salih’s RingGo parking time had expired, resulting in his vehicle being towed and impounded.
“When I got back I couldn’t find my car and the traffic warden told me they took the car,” Salih told the magistrates. “I found the blue badge on the pavement and was going to drop it off at the Post Office.”
Ms Gurnani said: “It was displayed on the dashboard and had not been put away in the glove compartment.”
Salih pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a blue badge and was fined £113, with £200 costs and ordered to pay a £45 victim surcharge.
“Even if you found it you shouldn’t have it displayed in your car,” Ms Henley told him.
Arriving hours late for court was jobless Onyekachi Onyebalu, 32, (pic. bottom left) of Gassiot Road, Tooting, whose blue VW was towed after he displayed a stolen blue badge.
The court heard the vehicle was parked in a restricted area in Tynemouth Street, Fulham on May 23, last year and was checked by a warden.
“The case is not that he stole the blue badge, but did use a badge that was not his,” said Ms Gurnani. “The vehicle was towed to a pound and Mr Onyebalu paid the release fee and admitted he was the driver.”
He pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a blue badge and was fined £40, with £250 costs and ordered to pay a £16 victim surcharge.
“I thought this had been dealt with a long time ago and paid £350 to get the car out,” complained Onyebalu. “I admit that I used a blue badge that wasn’t mine, I don’t deny that.”
Several blue badge cheats did not appear, including Chelsea & Westminster Hospital neonatal nurse Emma Azzam, 32, of Flora Gardens, Hammersmith.
She was alone when displaying her brother’s disabled blue badge to park her grey Vauxhall near Westfield shopping centre in Aldine Street, Shepherd’s Bush on February 20, last year.
“She told the officer that she was going to pick up her brother while parked in an area near the shopping centre, where there have been a lot of complaints about unlawful blue badge use,” explained Ms Gurnani.
“She said that she was in a hurry and her brother was the blue badge holder and she would return with him in five to ten minutes.”
After fifteen minutes she had not returned and the officer called a tow truck and the car was impounded.
The magistrates convicted her of unlawfully using a blue badge and fined the £1600 per month nurse, who also receives child benefit, £123, with £250 costs, plus a £49 victim surcharge.
West End property consultant Rafid Hanna, 59, of Middle Field, St. John’s Wood pleaded guilty by post to unlawfully using a blue badge when parking for a takeaway.
The court heard he used his absent aunt’s disabled badge to park his black Mini in a restricted area in Caxton Road, Shepherd’s Bush on October 6, last year.
“The blue badge was for a woman when the officer checked it and the defendant returned to the car alone with a takeaway,” said Ms Gurnani.
“He confirmed the badge holder was his aunt, who was at home in Kensington and he used the blue badge to purchase a takeaway.”
In a letter to the court the £6,400 per month property professional said he was running errands for his aunt and did not know it was an offence to use her disability badge.
“I did not lie or deceive or act disrespectfully,” he added before being fined £492, with £554 costs, plus a £192 victim surcharge.
Kurt Garwood, 34, of Ampleforth Road, Abbey Wood also failed to appear after being caught using a stolen blue badge to park his blue Smart car for free.
The court heard the badge was displayed in Pellant Road, Fulham on April 2, last year, twelve months after it had been pinched.
He was fined £220, with £250 costs and ordered to pay a £58 victim surcharge.
Another eleven blue badge cases were either withdrawn, adjourned or given trial dates.
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