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What the people thought of Stuart Hardings Conviction…Wonderful publicity…Give the man another medal.
OUTRAGE swept the country in the wake of Aldershot Magistrates’ decision to convict Mytchett pensioner Stuart Harding of obstructing the police by waving a speed trap warning sign at motorists in Farnborough Road, Farnborough.
Stuart is now a week into his 28-day driving ban, which he was ordered to serve under new powers given to magistrates only this year. He also had to pay £364 costs.
Three national newspapers also took up the story. One of them, the Daily Telegraph, is holding around £700 that its readers had sent to help Stuart.
And a wealthy reader of the Daily Express offered to pay for a barrister to fund his appeal against the conviction and sentence.
Star readers also sent money for him and we print a selection of the letters of support we have received (see Pages 10 & 11).
It was not clear this week whether Stuart would still go ahead with his appeal.
The reluctant folk hero was overwhelmed by all the attention and support and said he would consider his next move while on holiday next week..
In the meantime Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth has written to the Lord Chancellor’s department asking for him to look into the matter. He is also writing to the Chief Constable of Hampshire, as is his old election sparring partner, Liberal Democrat county councillor Adrian Collett.
“What this says is that it is more about hitting the motorist than reducing accidents,” Coun. Collett declared.Best Regards
Stuart XV16
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If I understand the argument about putting these cameras everywhere it is do with road safety and reducing casulties, NOT fines and points. So that bloke was helping the police to get people to slow down! Very public spirited and worthy of congratulation = not fine and bans!!
Exactly! This is proof that its revenue and not safety. The hypocrites just can’t see what they have done.
More and more people have now joined the campaign.Best Regards
Stuart XV16
Please note that some of the comments and articles posted may not represent my views or the views of FORUM99 and its moderators.
HELP KEEP THIS FORUM ALIVE! PLEASE DONATE.Here are some comments from another forum where I hang out… some interesting points of concern
Just read this in the “Telegraph” and it really beggars belief!”MAN PENALISED FOR WARNING OF SPEED CAMERA”A 71 year old man has just been banned from driving and charged £364 in costs. Motorist is banned over speed trap alertWas he driving dangerously? NOPE!Was he driving at all? NOPE!So what did he do!He stood on the A325 in Farnborough area with a little sign saying:”SPEED TRAP 300 YARDS AHEAD! 30 mph ZONE! SLOW DOWN!”All he was doing was warning motorists of impending hazards: he was telling people to slow down to protect the j-walkers at a car boot sale, and help save drivers the Angst of a speeding ticket.Bit like the rectangular cam warning sign and the yellow tin. He was only doing what the scammers claim they do – warning people that they will get nicked for breaking speed limit and advice is slow down!However Sgt Sarah CASHMAN (yes – that is her name – honestly – not making it up!) confiscated his sign and cautioned him.Our hero pleaded “Not Guilty” at Aldershot Mags Court. He left the court saying “I have been convicted of breaking the law because I was trying to stop others from doing so. It is totally unjust!”He is going to appeal – but the mad Mags decided to impose immediate driving ban on the poor chap.======================================So folks! Clear case of UK speed policy being focused on REVENUE RAISING as opposed to road safety.And speaking as qualified QC – one wonders what his chocolate teapot of a lawyer was doing? Did he have one? And why impose a driving ban? What is bloke did not drive? Would they have locked him up, confiscated his bus pass (or even his push bike!)?What vindictive twazaks!I really do despair of this country!No wonder over a third of you want to emigrate!(But remember – speed cams exist in mainland EU too – though I admit not quite as bad as here
YET!)Reply
If not justice ………..
… sound economic sense!However, I have some unease about this; to my mind, any act which prevents laws being broken is for the good, and this man’s sign is in essence exactly the same as the police signs on the A34 and other places stating that radar traps are in operation.I am less concerned that his license has been revoked for a month as the Magistrates acted entirely propertly, if there is a problem, it is that the law allowing them so to do was passed in the first place.Re: SO THIS IS JUSTICE?
The Law that enabled them to do this was the Criminal Justice Act of 2003.It was intended to be an effective punishment for serious anti-social behaviour offences, driving without insurance and abandoning cars willy nilly. This is because driving is – quite rightly – a privilege which we should all tke seriously.However, the punishment is too harsh for the “crime” committed.This story appeared in today’s “Telegraph”. Both the “Mail” and “Express” carried this story – as my family members inform me. They also tell me that these same papers carry the following daft stories of so-called justice (which makes me despair! British justice used to be the gold standard that every other country aspired to! Not any more! You would all cringe if you read our foreign press in Germany where I am based! UK – now a laughing stock!)1. Driver is fined just £83.84 for killing a guy. Drug addict in untaxed and uninsured Ford Escort – dodgy lights and tyres as well – ploughed into 22 year old man (who was walking along country lane in accordance with the HC). She failed to stop and failed to report the accident. Both of these offences carry 6 month jail term and £5k fine each!Only – no witnesses to confirm her dangerous driving, and the fly addict turned herself into cops some 8 hours later when effects of booze and drugs would have worn off!Coroner gave open verdict because no witnesses could prove dangerous or careless driving! (Driving a dodgy car then – is not careless! If only I (or Beagle) had been the CPS guy on the day… she would have been eating porridge!!The daft Mag (where oh WHERE do they get them from these days) – said “This was not your fault and you have suffered great emotional upset!” Oh PLEASE!She was banned for two years and fined £83.84. No doubt – she will ignore the ban – she does not seem to think she should purchase insurance or a tax disc after all!Minutes earlier this same court imposed two year ban and £443 fine on a 19 year old after he admitted careless driving. He mounted the kerb and collided with a tree. His passenger suffered a slight whiplash!Baffling! Even to one trained in the law!I am also told that these papers carried story of Welsh MP who was copped sppeding at 39mph in a 30mph zone. Only – he needs his car to go to political dos, and a ban (he had accumulated 12 points in 3 years!) would mean greatest hardship to him!And this does not apply to anyone esles copped 4 times at 35mph over three year period? (less if in Lancs until apparently today!)The paper also carried story of 16 year old yob waving a ball bearing gun around and firing it at nearby houses from waste land. Neighbour called the cops, who took him home to his Daddy. Carrying a BB gun carries a £5K fine and 6 months in jail. Firing it willy nilly at neighbours in their houses …. lot longer!So what happened? Scrote got “strongly worded advice on guns”.Why?Because Daddy is the firearms officer in Dorset Constabulary.Dorset Constabulary charged a man with eating a constable’s sandwich – even though he purchased a better replacement.They also prosecuted a the parents of a 15 year old newspaper lad – because he delivered his papers at five to seven in the morning and not five past the hour!Methinks these Mags and some cops are making an ass out of the law and really taking the p155!!From another QC
Contrast the pensioner with the councillor.
According to Farnborough’s local paper – Councillor David Clifford held similar one-man protest against fleece scams on the A325.
Right under nose of the talivan twit – he waved placard warning drivers that they could be fined for speeding — at the Pinewood roundabout. Grateful drivers thumbed up and tooted their thanks as they passed him!
The intrepid councillor declared:
“I am totally for keeping to the speed limit – but this is nothing to do with road safety. It is about the allocation of resources – why is this copper not out chasing burglars and the like?!”
(Jolly good question – my sister Scam Shy would like to know that! She is still droning on about the loss of that lawn mower – and no cop response to her 999 call – but …. NORTH Wales ARAF ARF ARF!!)
This jolly good councillor went on to say that the prats are not listening to us, the police are antagonising the situation, and that public are opposed to scams and hidden scams.
The local MP also says that the number of scams does not justify the number of speed traps on this road.
Locals are reported in this paper as saying:
“The accident rate on this road is minute! We live here and have not seen them!”
“This is about fining people on their way to work!”
“It’s not as though this is by a school!”
“You drive down the dual carriageway and they are always hiding somewhere to try to catch you!”
A mother of three: “This is just another way of police making money from law-abiding tax payers!”
“There is a pedestrian crossing and it is up to pedestrians to use it. Any accident is down to their ignorance if they fail to use it!”
BUT anonymous lentilist student (probably one of those cyclist creatures and completely brainwashed by sandalist lecturer):
“It is justified – it is a busy roundabout with lots of people. My friends were injured there by a car travelling at 60mph. The car went into the roundabout!”
Well – I think we can see that student does not drive and has no idea nor judgement of speed and its effects.
1. His friends should have used the crossing.
2. If his friends had been struck at 60mph – they would not have been injured – they would have been DEAD!
3. Car would have been decelerating towards roundabout – and they picked silly place to cross – especially since there is a crossing reportedly nearby!
But … this chap did not get hammered. He had the press dancing attendance – covering his protest. Our brave old geezer was hard-up pensioner who has paid in his dues over his lifetime and deserves better.
Quite frankly – I am amazed that this went to court. Waste of our money.
Cannot believe that he had defence lawyer – he could have brought the councillor’s well documented action up – as precedented example!
And – hardly an antisocial or violent act on part of the pensioner. And the ban should only have been imposed after appeal failed.
This is a very vindictive and high handed punishment, and both police and magistrates in this case appear to have abused their powers – based on the story as reported and on the other similar case with the councillor.
The cop and mags should be sacked for this!
Hopefully – this pensioner will get compensation – which – unfortunately – will cost us – taxpayers – again!
Another reason – why these incompetents should be sacked!
Humph! Humbug!
Seems as though we are getting more and more people on the anti scam side than first anticipated…
Best Regards
Stuart XV16
Please note that some of the comments and articles posted may not represent my views or the views of FORUM99 and its moderators.
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