£2000+ cost of shooting traffic Warden - with a water pistol
Discussion
http://www.cumbriacrack.com/2014/12/15/traffic-war...
For more lurid detail see the Daily Mail report...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2872722/Bu...
Presumably people will think twice before they squirt anyone with a water pistol in the future!
Cumbria Crack said:
Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet member responsible for highways has welcomed the hefty fine and criminal record received by a member of the public who verbally abused and squirted a parking enforcement officer with a water pistol in Ambleside.
Cllr Keith Little said the “unacceptable and outrageous” behaviour had ended up costing 53-year-old Timothy Coupe more than £2,000 – all due to his reaction to receiving a £70 fine for illegally parking in a loading bay.
Kendal Magistrates heard how Mr Coupe initially told county council employee Amy Harrison to ‘shush’ when she told him she couldn't park on Compston Road in Ambleside, before launching a verbal tirade of four-letter words and squirting her with a water pistol he normally uses to control his dog. Ms Harrison described the incident as “distressing” and “humiliating and embarrassing”.
The incident was then reported to the police and it was thanks to the determination and persistence of the council’s parking team to pursue the matter that Mr Coupe paid heavily for his behaviour. He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay £400 compensation to his victim, had to pay £620 court costs, plus a victim surcharge.
“It sends a very strong message that the abuse of our staff will not be tolerated,” said Cllr Little. “Be they parking enforcement officers, social workers or someone working in a library, there is a boundary which must not be crossed. This was an unacceptable and outrageous case of a member of public abusing a council employee doing their job.
“Without parking enforcement officers, roads would be clogged with illegally parked cars and people wouldn't be able to park and shop. They may not be popular with those who get a ticket, but if they didn't do the job they do towns would grind to a halt.”
Coupe was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in Ambleside on June 18.Cllr Keith Little said the “unacceptable and outrageous” behaviour had ended up costing 53-year-old Timothy Coupe more than £2,000 – all due to his reaction to receiving a £70 fine for illegally parking in a loading bay.
Kendal Magistrates heard how Mr Coupe initially told county council employee Amy Harrison to ‘shush’ when she told him she couldn't park on Compston Road in Ambleside, before launching a verbal tirade of four-letter words and squirting her with a water pistol he normally uses to control his dog. Ms Harrison described the incident as “distressing” and “humiliating and embarrassing”.
The incident was then reported to the police and it was thanks to the determination and persistence of the council’s parking team to pursue the matter that Mr Coupe paid heavily for his behaviour. He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay £400 compensation to his victim, had to pay £620 court costs, plus a victim surcharge.
“It sends a very strong message that the abuse of our staff will not be tolerated,” said Cllr Little. “Be they parking enforcement officers, social workers or someone working in a library, there is a boundary which must not be crossed. This was an unacceptable and outrageous case of a member of public abusing a council employee doing their job.
“Without parking enforcement officers, roads would be clogged with illegally parked cars and people wouldn't be able to park and shop. They may not be popular with those who get a ticket, but if they didn't do the job they do towns would grind to a halt.”
For more lurid detail see the Daily Mail report...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2872722/Bu...
Presumably people will think twice before they squirt anyone with a water pistol in the future!
ging84 said:
singlecoil said:
Seems reasonable in the circumstances.
Well then i'm offering to let anyone shoot me with a water pistol, for just £500, with no victim surcharge or court costsMill Wheel said:
Coupe was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in Ambleside on June 18.
Well, it sounds like he was slam dunk guilty, on the strength of the four letter tirade alone. The detail about the water pistol makes for nice clickbait, but was probably a fairly minor part of the actual case.Aretnap said:
Mill Wheel said:
Coupe was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in Ambleside on June 18.
Well, it sounds like he was slam dunk guilty, on the strength of the four letter tirade alone. The detail about the water pistol makes for nice clickbait, but was probably a fairly minor part of the actual case.
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ging84 said:
singlecoil said:
Seems reasonable in the circumstances.
Well then i'm offering to let anyone shoot me with a water pistol, for just £500, with no victim surcharge or court costsDuring the City of London uni rag week, two blokes and a woman sprayed a female PC with water and ran off. She chased them and saw them get into a car. It was stopped and the blokes arrested.
The woman had calmed a bit after changing and was not all that bothered by the result. My inspector released one and had a whispered conversation with him in the charge room. Within 30 mins the chap came back with flowers, a real big and expensive bunch, and chocolates, again more than one box. The other bloke was released without charge although both apologised to the PC.
The goalor asked the inspector what to do with the charge sheets and the inspector just gave him a look.
So perhaps the good old days, and the ways of resolving difficult problems, were not all bad.
The woman had calmed a bit after changing and was not all that bothered by the result. My inspector released one and had a whispered conversation with him in the charge room. Within 30 mins the chap came back with flowers, a real big and expensive bunch, and chocolates, again more than one box. The other bloke was released without charge although both apologised to the PC.
The goalor asked the inspector what to do with the charge sheets and the inspector just gave him a look.
So perhaps the good old days, and the ways of resolving difficult problems, were not all bad.
Derek Smith said:
During the City of London uni rag week, two blokes and a woman sprayed a female PC with water and ran off. She chased them and saw them get into a car. It was stopped and the blokes arrested.
The woman had calmed a bit after changing and was not all that bothered by the result. My inspector released one and had a whispered conversation with him in the charge room. Within 30 mins the chap came back with flowers, a real big and expensive bunch, and chocolates, again more than one box. The other bloke was released without charge although both apologised to the PC.
The goalor asked the inspector what to do with the charge sheets and the inspector just gave him a look.
So perhaps the good old days, and the ways of resolving difficult problems, were not all bad.
To be fair, in this case, the driver went a lot further than simply squirting the woman with water - the verbal tirade alone would surely bring about stronger action?The woman had calmed a bit after changing and was not all that bothered by the result. My inspector released one and had a whispered conversation with him in the charge room. Within 30 mins the chap came back with flowers, a real big and expensive bunch, and chocolates, again more than one box. The other bloke was released without charge although both apologised to the PC.
The goalor asked the inspector what to do with the charge sheets and the inspector just gave him a look.
So perhaps the good old days, and the ways of resolving difficult problems, were not all bad.
Mk3Spitfire said:
£400 compo seems excessive. I've been punched, kicked, head butted, spat at, numerous times...I don't think I've ever had more than £50!!
Paid in weekly installments of £1 no doubt!Years ago I was quite badly battered and the payments were so small and slow coming from the guilty party they just became an irritating reminder of the night in question. Pathetic really.
gforceg said:
Paid in weekly installments of £1 no doubt!
Years ago I was quite badly battered and the payments were so small and slow coming from the guilty party they just became an irritating reminder of the night in question. Pathetic really.
Well, I can tell you that things haven't changed then. Years ago I was quite badly battered and the payments were so small and slow coming from the guilty party they just became an irritating reminder of the night in question. Pathetic really.
My favourite part is when said customer gets nicked for something else and does a bit of "time" and I then get a letter to say that as he's paid £13 of my compo, and has spent time inside (for an unrelated matter) would I consider waving the remaining £37!
Mk3Spitfire said:
Well, I can tell you that things haven't changed then.
My favourite part is when said customer gets nicked for something else and does a bit of "time" and I then get a letter to say that as he's paid £13 of my compo, and has spent time inside (for an unrelated matter) would I consider waving the remaining £37!
Does the compensation vary with the offenders ability to pay, as with court costs and fines?My favourite part is when said customer gets nicked for something else and does a bit of "time" and I then get a letter to say that as he's paid £13 of my compo, and has spent time inside (for an unrelated matter) would I consider waving the remaining £37!
There was a comment in this case that the money could be payed within a certain time frame, in spite of his claim to have fallen on hard times.
Mill Wheel said:
Does the compensation vary with the offenders ability to pay, as with court costs and fines?
There was a comment in this case that the money could be payed within a certain time frame, in spite of his claim to have fallen on hard times.
The majority will claim they are broke, so the poor little daps are allowed to pay in literally £1 instalments. Sometimes you'll get the "lump" sum in one go, but generally speaking its a quid a go. There was a comment in this case that the money could be payed within a certain time frame, in spite of his claim to have fallen on hard times.
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