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.”
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