Top Restauranteur in Court after following advice
Top Restauranteur in Court after following advice
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Mill Wheel

Original Poster:

6,149 posts

225 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
Well not exactly, but I'm sure he took a course of action that many have advocated here at one time or another! laugh

http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/941466...

Westmorland Gazette said:
Lake District restauranteur Simon Rogan fined in court today for criminal damage

AN award-winning South Lakeland restaurateur was ordered to pay more than £1,000 in compensation after a court heard he deliberately reversed his car into a Range Rover.

Michelin-star chef Simon Rogan, who runs the L’Enclume restaurant at Cartmel, had returned to Oxenholme Station following a business trip to London to find his Audi blocked in a parking bay, South Lakeland magistrates were told.

Lisa Hine, prosecuting, said the Range Rover was parked in such a way that other vehicles at the station were unable to reverse out of parking bays.

The court was told Rogan, 44, returned to his car after spending the day in London setting up his new restaurant and found he did not have enough space to get his vehicle out.

Ms Hine said Rogan reversed into the Range Rover causing it extensive damage.

Rogan, of Weavers Cottage, Cartmel, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay compensation of £1,194, 83 to the owner of the Range Rover, Timothy Schools, plus £85 court costs.

In interview, Rogan said: “I was trying to nudge it out of the way, I was in a big rush.”

He told magistrates: “I made a mistake and I’m really sorry. But I thought that the car was illegally parked.

”I’m not in the habit of nudging cars out of the way. I didn’t really intend to do a lot of damage, I have a nice car myself.”

Rogan, a man of previous good character, said that he found staff at the train station most unhelpful and should have insisted on staff towing the Range Rover away instead of taking matters into his own hands.
I can understand why he took this course of action - and I think the Range Rover driver should have been fined for obstructing EACH of the vehicles he blocked in.

What would be the chances of that happening - assuming that nobody took steps to punish the selfish oaf first?smile

10 Pence Short

32,880 posts

246 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
The guy who blocked the spaces may have been inconsiderate- he may also have felt he had a valid reason to leave his car where he did.

The other guy sounds equally self- centred and I'm glad he was rightly prosecuted for his selfish stupidity.

Mill Wheel

Original Poster:

6,149 posts

225 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
10 Pence Short said:
The guy who blocked the spaces may have been inconsiderate- he may also have felt he had a valid reason to leave his car where he did.

The other guy sounds equally self- centred and I'm glad he was rightly prosecuted for his selfish stupidity.
I can't imagine what valid reason that would be - but it was right that he should be prosecuted for criminal damage.
If he HAD consulted here first, I'm sure he would have been warned to "Get a mate to tow it into the road" and not get caught - especially since this would have damaged his own vehicle too!

Here is the long term parking at Oxenholme... the usual complaint is that it is too expensive, not over full!
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=oxenholme+station&am...

birdcage

2,934 posts

234 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
I ate there last week and very nice it was too.

Nobody gets a slap on the wrist anymore do they, unless they aren't previously of good character.

10 Pence Short

32,880 posts

246 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
There could be any number of justifiable reasons, from being caught short, to running in to drop something off before a train departure, and so on, or just that he's an inconsiderate st.

In any case you should deal with the problem within the law and by being reasonable- not being a st yourself in kind, which I know we agree on. smile

anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
Mill Wheel said:
Westmorland Gazette said:
In interview, Rogan said: “I was trying to nudge it out of the way, I was in a big rush.”
What sort of complete tit would say that? I mean, what did he think they were going to do, say "Fair enough, off you go" ?

carmonk

7,910 posts

216 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
I wonder why he admitted it. Unless he made a fuss then got in his car and said, "Right, I'm going to ram it" in front of witnesses. He should have kept his mouth shut and then if he'd been tracked down, claim no knowledge of the incident and let his insurance deal if necessary. Normally that would be a stty thing to do but in this case I think he was in the right. Pricks like the RR driver need to be taught a lesson. That happened to me a while ago - went for new tyres and another tosser in a RR (or maybe the same one, it was 3 miles away from the OP!) parked outside completely blocking access to the entire garage - then went shopping! I waited 20 minutes then half a dozen powerfully built blokes bounced the thing out of the way and left it across the pavement, for which he later got a ticket I heard. Hopefully there were no scratches to his bodywork as a result, hope not, hope not...

Mad Dave

7,158 posts

292 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
birdcage said:
I ate there last week and very nice it was too.

Nobody gets a slap on the wrist anymore do they, unless they aren't previously of good character.
I'm guessing he refused a police Caution if he ended up in court - sounds like he would have been eligible. Personally I'd initially have offered him (and the 'victim') the chance to 'locally resolve' it, eg. pay for the damage assuming the damage wasn't too bad (just over a grand to a Range Rover doesn't sound like much damage? No idea of their dealer prices but would guess it's high) but we'll never know if that was also offered/refused.

bazking69

8,620 posts

219 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
Both parties sound like idiots to me.

jazzyjeff

3,652 posts

288 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
carmonk said:
half a dozen powerfully built blokes bounced the thing out of the way and left it across the pavement,
All PHers to a man biggrin

carmonk

7,910 posts

216 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
jazzyjeff said:
carmonk said:
half a dozen powerfully built blokes bounced the thing out of the way and left it across the pavement,
All PHers to a man biggrin
A fine array of goatees too, you should have seen it, it was glorious!

mjb1

2,585 posts

188 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
Surely it would have been cheaper to smash a window and let off the handbrake to roll it out of the way? jester

vdp1

517 posts

200 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
Pistonheads should have red and green arrows like the Daily Mail. Quite a few lefties would get read arrowed to fk.

carmonk

7,910 posts

216 months

Monday 12th December 2011
quotequote all
vdp1 said:
Pistonheads should have red and green arrows like the Daily Mail.
Odd, I just had the same thought about the arrows about 30 seconds before I clicked on this thread.

redgriff500

28,982 posts

292 months

Tuesday 13th December 2011
quotequote all
I agree with him.

If you ignore the rules and think "fk everyone else" then frankly fk you.

I have moved a car that parked directly behind me (this was in a "head to head" car park with lanes in the middle so took breath taking stupidity)

It was winter and on a hill, I used a shovel under his car to bounce it out the way.

It dented the sills and wheel arches - tough.

If I'd been in a banger I'd have felt no guilt at nudging it out the way.

If you're too dim / selfish to park a car correctly, you shouldn't drive one.

And yes if I did it to someone else I'd expect similar to happen to mine.


10 Pence Short

32,880 posts

246 months

Tuesday 13th December 2011
quotequote all
And you find out that guy being selfish was in the process of having a heart attack whilst 'abandoning' their car, or their car broke down and they've just gone for help?

Seriously, the 'fk you' attitude of some parts of society really stinks.

redgriff500

28,982 posts

292 months

Tuesday 13th December 2011
quotequote all
10 Pence Short said:
And you find out that guy being selfish was in the process of having a heart attack whilst 'abandoning' their car, or their car broke down and they've just gone for help?

Seriously, the 'fk you' attitude of some parts of society really stinks.
Then you would find his car unlocked with the keys in it and him collapsed nearby.

Alternatively if he dies he won't care, if he lives he'll be so thankful he's alive, he won't care.

Broken down - hazards, bonnet open, note on the dash....

Or how about it's just some dhead which it is 99.9999999999% of the time.

I help run a charity event and last year I was on car park duties there are always a few who feel they have the right to park where they damn well want - screw the fact it affects others, blocks the emergency route or was being saved for the disabled.






Edited by Bill on Tuesday 13th December 10:16

Pontoneer

3,643 posts

215 months

Tuesday 13th December 2011
quotequote all
Really , this whole story is an excellent example of why you should REVERSE into parking spaces . A driver who had reversed in would have most likely been able to manoeuvre out ; unlike those who drive into spaces then need to get the full length of their car out before being able to turn .

daz3210

5,000 posts

269 months

Tuesday 13th December 2011
quotequote all
The problem with the disabled they too can have a fk you attitude.

Example, outside work the road is wide enough for two cars no more.

One side of the road has marked parking bays, with a 1 hour restirction. Other side has a single yellow. The other day a bloke parked on the single yellow, opposite another parked car (not running to loo or anything else). He blocked the road. He was challeneged by a member of the public, and I heard him tell the guy he was entitled he had a disabled badge. The car was there for 40 minutes, during which no-one could go past.

Now I know disabled folks have concessions, but surely it is with the proviso they do not cause obstructions.


andygo

7,391 posts

284 months

Tuesday 13th December 2011
quotequote all
daz3210 said:
The problem with the disabled they too can have a fk you attitude.

Example, outside work the road is wide enough for two cars no more.

One side of the road has marked parking bays, with a 1 hour restirction. Other side has a single yellow. The other day a bloke parked on the single yellow, opposite another parked car (not running to loo or anything else). He blocked the road. He was challeneged by a member of the public, and I heard him tell the guy he was entitled he had a disabled badge. The car was there for 40 minutes, during which no-one could go past.

Now I know disabled folks have concessions, but surely it is with the proviso they do not cause obstructions.
He was awarded a disabled badge for having a disabled brain. Some of these disabled drivers have huge chips on their shoulders. (I know the majority don't though)