£4,500 bill for biker who fought £60 ticket

[Bob]

A motorcyclist who challenged a £60 speeding ticket was yesterday presented with a £4,500 legal bill after police flew in an expert from America to support their case.

David Harris challenged the ticket, saying the speed gun that caught him was faulty. At this point the Crown Prosecution Service called in Jeremy Dunne, technical vice president of the American company that supplies the lazer cameras. By this point, Harris had decided to withdraw his appeal – too late for him as Dunne was already being flown in.

The result was that the court ruled Harris should pay the air fare, as well as Dunne’s car hire, mileage, stationery and telephone bills. This – along with £600 court costs – added up to £4,555.88.

Harris has been given twelve months to pay the amount. His barrister has described the fine as “"an eye-watering surprise" and added that whilst the defendant “made do with a ‘bacon and eggs’ witness costing £400, the CPS had splashed out on someone in the ‘caviare and champagne’ bracket.”

[WRT]

Not knowing the full story of it all, I can kind of understand that. The cops must get sick and tired of having people who have been caught fair and square, and then try to make up some lame as excuse to get off it. "Oh, but there's no way I could have been going that fast, your gun must be faulty officer".

You took a chance when you sped, you broke the law and got caught, and now your just hoping that if you can drag it out the cops will lose interest and let you off. Why should the tax payer have to foot the bill?

The right to challenge the ticket is there for those that have genuinely been hard done by, not for those who want to weasel their way out of something they know they did wrong. Just adds a layer of cynicism to the courts for when someone with a genuine grevience comes along.

[SimJen]

Thing is you don't know if he was caught fair and square..........
he could have been clearly in the right, but being government run the cops can do what they like with little to no comeback.
I think I would have just paid the 60 quid :)

[Karma]

I would imagine the police were trying to stop a landmark case or something...

If it was prooved that all the lasers were faulty then they'd have to replace the whole lot, and it would throw all current speeding convictions into doubt.

At the end of the day, when you go to court, you have to be prepared to lose...

[Lou Girardin]

Justice for all?
Or just the rich?

[Fishy]

If the guy in question was so convinced that the laser was out he would never have withdrawn his appeal.

[WRT]

Isnt that always the way, Lou? ;)

Reading the article, the guy didnt have too much dedication to his cause, after they flew in experts he decided to withdraw his appeal. Imagine someone had taken you to court, you go to the trouble of flying in experts to back your case, and then once you are commited to the expense, the guy changes his mind and withdraws. What do you do? Just go "Oh well, I guess no harm no foul, I'll just fork out the four and a half thousand quid and let the matter die"?

Sod that, I'd want reparations too.

[Fishy]

Yep I agree with that WRT.

[Lou Girardin]

It smacks too much of our Govt threatening claimants in one of the leaky homes cases with costs unless they agreed not to appeal.
Govts have enough resources to not have to financially cripple citizens defending themselves.

[spudchucka]

At least the courts somewhere in the world recognise bullshit when they see it and treat the bullshit artist accordingly.