05-01-2011, 04:57 PM
1
Driver fined over £400
I was so angry to hear that a driver had been found guilty of obstructing the police and fined £400.What had this driver done? Well he had passed a police speed trap and had flashed his lights to warn other drivers to slow down.
He protested that this was his civic duty, just like a picture of a speed camera warns you that you should slow down and stick to the speed limit.
It turns out that people cannot be found guilty of obstructing the police unless a crime has been committed and they obstruct the police in finding the criminal so what crime did this man comit?
05-01-2011, 05:44 PM
2
Re: Driver fined over £400
I agree. I'm always grateful to receive a flash to alert me,as I've been done in the past, with police hiding behind bushes and buildings with sneaky intent, and its not until you get the summons, that you realise that you've been done for a just a little over the limit ,on some usually quiet country road. I'm not a mad motorist at all, been driving 40years plus, but this guy should not have been done.
05-01-2011, 07:33 PM
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Re: Driver fined over £400
I'm normally very supportive of the Police but this is just stupid - It is alleged that the man was a tad 'wordy' to the Police Officer (allegedly a WPC) maybe this 'upset' her and she used her 'powers' to charge the man, but by all accounts he is aged 64 and not previously known to Police so not the sort of person the Police should be going after.
05-01-2011, 08:55 PM
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Re: Driver fined over £400
Originally Posted by Cookiecate
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I was so angry to hear that a driver had been found guilty of obstructing the police and fined £400.What had this driver done? Well he had passed a police speed trap and had flashed his lights to warn other drivers to slow down.
He protested that this was his civic duty, just like a picture of a speed camera warns you that you should slow down and stick to the speed limit.
It turns out that people cannot be found guilty of obstructing the police unless a crime has been committed and they obstruct the police in finding the criminal so what crime did this man comit?
[I The offence of hindering a police officer who is in the course of doing his duty. “Obstruction” includes any intentional interference, e.g. by physical force, threats, telling lies or giving misleading information, refusing to cooperate in removing an obstruction, or warning a person who has committed a crime so that he can escape detection (e.g. warning a speeding driver that there is a police trap ahead). It is not, however, an offence merely not to answer, or to advise someone not to answer, police questions that he does not have to …[/I]
I agree that a fine of £400 seems excessive, but perhaps he added to his problems by being mouthy and argumentative with the woman police officer.
05-01-2011, 10:32 PM
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Re: Driver fined over £400
I think the Police went a bit far but hey, face it, the guy was stupid to admit he was warning others, plus he had a bad solicitor.How can someone sit in a car flashing thier headlights and be interfering with a police officer who would most likely be on the opposite side of the road.
I think he deserved getting done for being so naive.
06-01-2011, 12:16 AM
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Re: Driver fined over £400
Originally Posted by Aerolor
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It is a crime/offence in itself to obstruct the police in the execution of their duties so the flashing driver was guilty Cookiecate. See definition below:-[I The offence of hindering a police officer who is in the course of doing his duty. “Obstruction” includes any intentional interference, e.g. by physical force, threats, telling lies or giving misleading information, refusing to cooperate in removing an obstruction, or warning a person who has committed a crime so that he can escape detection (e.g. warning a speeding driver that there is a police trap ahead). It is not, however, an offence merely not to answer, or to advise someone not to answer, police questions that he does not have to …[/I]
I agree that a fine of £400 seems excessive, but perhaps he added to his problems by being mouthy and argumentative with the woman police officer.
No one had committed a crime all he was doing was alerting people to the fact that there were police about trying to trap people speeding, no one can possibly prove that the people he was flashing were breaking any laws he certainly couldn't tell as he didn't have a speedo thingy.
If a police officer can't take a little mouth from an older person who was only pointing out that he felt he had a civic duty to other road users to ensure that they were driving at the correct speed then we are allowing the wrong kind of people in the police force
06-01-2011, 11:22 AM
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Re: Driver fined over £400
Originally Posted by MickB
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I wouldn't mind so much if the majority of speed cameras and "speed traps" were actually aimed at reducing speeding and increasing road safety. Unfortunately, like parking restrictions, they are usually about revenue creation not safety.
This is the whole point Mick, they don't want the traffic calmed they want to raise revenue. Personally Idon't believe that the police should be involved. Nowadays it must cost a fortune to train the average copper in all the different stuff they use to detect crime cos they are not using their common sense nor have they a sense of humour.
06-01-2011, 11:47 AM
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Re: Driver fined over £400
The police must start to again respect the law abiding majority and deal with such petty things with a little more common sense. Every prosecution of a normally law abiding citizen just chips away at the respect for our law enforcement. Without the mutual respect between the public and law enforcement the whole system is doomed to fail, we need one another for it to have any chance of continued success. Law enforcement should be for the people with the concensus of the people. They shouldn`t beat up the good guys!|
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