Greatest ever excuse for speeding?
Discussion
http://thenewspaper.com/news/10/1021.
UK: Speed Gun Mistaken for Machine Gun
A former commando earns a speeding ticket after he mistakes a speed gun for a submachine gun.
UK resident Gareth Cook, 48, fell back on his special forces military training when he passed Wiltshire police officer George Rabczak who was pointing a speed gun at him. From a distance on the A36 at Thoulstone, Cook believed the gun was an Ingram Mac-10 submachine gun. Fearing for his life, he accelerated his Mercedes past the officer at 81 MPH in the 60 zone.
"If someone points a gun, you put your foot down," Cook testified at Swindon Crown Court, where he was unsuccessful in appealing his speeding conviction. Later, he told The Sun, "I had an instinctive reaction, but they called me a liar."
The court charged the veteran £580 (US $1015) and placed three demerit points on his driving license. In July, London police gunned down Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent Brazilian man whom the police mistook for a terrorist. An Independent Police Complaints Committee investigation is currently under way to determine whether the Metropolitan Police attempted to cover up the mistake.
Source: Is that speed gun or Uzi? (The Sun (UK), 3/17/2006)
UK: Speed Gun Mistaken for Machine Gun
A former commando earns a speeding ticket after he mistakes a speed gun for a submachine gun.
UK resident Gareth Cook, 48, fell back on his special forces military training when he passed Wiltshire police officer George Rabczak who was pointing a speed gun at him. From a distance on the A36 at Thoulstone, Cook believed the gun was an Ingram Mac-10 submachine gun. Fearing for his life, he accelerated his Mercedes past the officer at 81 MPH in the 60 zone.
"If someone points a gun, you put your foot down," Cook testified at Swindon Crown Court, where he was unsuccessful in appealing his speeding conviction. Later, he told The Sun, "I had an instinctive reaction, but they called me a liar."
The court charged the veteran £580 (US $1015) and placed three demerit points on his driving license. In July, London police gunned down Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent Brazilian man whom the police mistook for a terrorist. An Independent Police Complaints Committee investigation is currently under way to determine whether the Metropolitan Police attempted to cover up the mistake.
Source: Is that speed gun or Uzi? (The Sun (UK), 3/17/2006)
hengti said:
another one who'd rather make an absolute c*ock of themselves instead of take the rap for a minor traffic offence ... bizarre
But what if someone returns from a tour of duty having risked their life, only to be subjected to this nonsense.
We don't know the circumstances, but if he was driving perfectly safely why would he be happy to take the rap, just for the laws sake?
I think some of these speed gun police and SCP's should be sent to Iraq for a while to try their skills over there. The reality of being shot at might instill a sense of leniency in them when they return here for oh so important speed gun duties.
>> Edited by deeps on Saturday 18th March 01:11
deeps said:
another one who'd rather make an absolute c*ock of themselves instead of take the rap for a minor traffic offence ... bizarre
But what if someone returns from a tour of duty having risked their life, only to be subjected to this nonsense.
We don't know the circumstances, but if he was driving perfectly safely why would he be happy to take the rap, just for the laws sake?
I think some of these speed gun police and SCP's should be sent to Iraq for a while to try their skills over there. The reality of being shot at might instill a sense of leniency in them when they return here for oh so important speed gun duties.
>> Edited by deeps on Saturday 18th March 01:11
I agree. They guy has just spent a good portion of his best years fighting seeing 106 of his brave compatriots die in a foreign land for a phoney war.
On his return, he is the victim of the same governments separate phoney war a second time. It would be worth going to court just to make his feelings felt.
puggit said:
http://thenewspaper.com/news/10/1021.
An Independent Police Complaints Committee investigation is currently under way to determine whether the Metropolitan Police attempted to cover up the mistake.
Source: Is that speed gun or Uzi? (The Sun (UK), 3/17/2006)
Attempted? no doubt in my mind at all.
Any idea why the sun published the fine in dollas as well, is there a link, or did I miss something.
justinp1 said:
another one who'd rather make an absolute c*ock of themselves instead of take the rap for a minor traffic offence ... bizarre
But what if someone returns from a tour of duty having risked their life, only to be subjected to this nonsense.
We don't know the circumstances, but if he was driving perfectly safely why would he be happy to take the rap, just for the laws sake?
I think some of these speed gun police and SCP's should be sent to Iraq for a while to try their skills over there. The reality of being shot at might instill a sense of leniency in them when they return here for oh so important speed gun duties.
come off it!!
I'm not going to question this guy's professional integrity as a soldier, or believe that he had some kind of ptsd flashback and decided to speed up after he believed he saw a uniformed bobby waving a mac-10 at him from the roadside ...
If we're to believe his story, he must be belting up and down the country like a loon - 'lolly pop lady suddenly walks out into the road' - 'I'm outa here - there's soemone with a bazooka after me'!!!
ffs
>> Edited by deeps on Saturday 18th March 01:11
I agree. They guy has just spent a good portion of his best years fighting seeing 106 of his brave compatriots die in a foreign land for a phoney war.
On his return, he is the victim of the same governments separate phoney war a second time. It would be worth going to court just to make his feelings felt.
rofl I haven't heard that one before.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff