Discussion
An old chum who is a magistrate just popped round to 'borrow a cup of sugar'.
He related this tale to me, told to him by a fellow magistrate. Both of them are car buffs, BTW.
A registered keeper had contested that a vehicle registered to him had passed a traffic signal at red and had been snapped by a camera. He claimed not to have been in the area at the time (and had an alibi witness to that).
The RK claimed that the registration number of the vehicle had been cloned - and had evidence of other offences committed in the clone vehicle including speeding and parking violations. Thus far alibi evidence had been presented to the relevant authorities that had resulted in the withdrawal of all fines and excess charges. I understand that those offences had all been committed several hundred miles away.
After 'cloning' had been explained to him, the Chairman of the Bench initially dismissed the claim, saying that he had never heard of a vehicle numberplate being cloned and that, anyway, government regulations had made it impossible to buy a numberplate if you were not the owner of the vehicle in question! Apparently, one of the other magistrates (it might well have been my friend's friend) and the Clerk whispered in the Chairman's ear. The CPS spoke to the alibi witness (at defence counsel's suggestion) and did not proceed.
Later, privately, the Chairman ridiculed the witness evidence and continued to insist that it was impossible to buy a numberplate without ID and being the owner of the vehicle in question.
A week later, a set of numberplates for his Rover - ordered over the Internet by my friend's friend - was delivered to his house. Along the bottom of each numberplate was emblazoned the caption: "Now will you believe me?"
Streaky
Edited to correct reference to CPS' actions - S
>>> Edited by streaky on Friday 1st April 17:20
He related this tale to me, told to him by a fellow magistrate. Both of them are car buffs, BTW.
A registered keeper had contested that a vehicle registered to him had passed a traffic signal at red and had been snapped by a camera. He claimed not to have been in the area at the time (and had an alibi witness to that).
The RK claimed that the registration number of the vehicle had been cloned - and had evidence of other offences committed in the clone vehicle including speeding and parking violations. Thus far alibi evidence had been presented to the relevant authorities that had resulted in the withdrawal of all fines and excess charges. I understand that those offences had all been committed several hundred miles away.
After 'cloning' had been explained to him, the Chairman of the Bench initially dismissed the claim, saying that he had never heard of a vehicle numberplate being cloned and that, anyway, government regulations had made it impossible to buy a numberplate if you were not the owner of the vehicle in question! Apparently, one of the other magistrates (it might well have been my friend's friend) and the Clerk whispered in the Chairman's ear. The CPS spoke to the alibi witness (at defence counsel's suggestion) and did not proceed.
Later, privately, the Chairman ridiculed the witness evidence and continued to insist that it was impossible to buy a numberplate without ID and being the owner of the vehicle in question.
A week later, a set of numberplates for his Rover - ordered over the Internet by my friend's friend - was delivered to his house. Along the bottom of each numberplate was emblazoned the caption: "Now will you believe me?"
Streaky
Edited to correct reference to CPS' actions - S
>>> Edited by streaky on Friday 1st April 17:20
That story has really cheered me up! 
I had some made up by a friend in the bizz with no docs.
Not to be fraudulent etc, but purely because I didn't want the postcode of Halfords on my number plates, they are still in Charles Wright font etc..
If I get caught then "they came from a bloke at a motor show"
BTW they were less than half the price of H's too
Not to be fraudulent etc, but purely because I didn't want the postcode of Halfords on my number plates, they are still in Charles Wright font etc..
If I get caught then "they came from a bloke at a motor show"
BTW they were less than half the price of H's too
M2Mike, I have to slightly disagree with you there on the point of real world.
In the real world, the majority of folks do believe everything that the authorities tell them and that includes magistrates. They are told that a law has been passed that makes it impossible to buy false plates and they believe it. Not everyone is a PH'er and questions/argues with everything.
In the real world, the majority of folks do believe everything that the authorities tell them and that includes magistrates. They are told that a law has been passed that makes it impossible to buy false plates and they believe it. Not everyone is a PH'er and questions/argues with everything.
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