A person all of a sudden realised why he had been getting mysterious parking fines posted by his letterbox after recognizing a automobile with the identical quantity plate whereas driving his personal automobile by a busy avenue.
The realisation got here when he noticed the Ford Fiesta displaying his personal automobile’s registration and figured it have to be a rip-off.
The Fiesta driver David Stiff was later arrested in Riverside, Cardiff, nonetheless, he denied any information of the fraudulent plate.
Stiff instructed WalesOnline he had purchased the automobile three days earlier from “some man I met on Ninian Park Street”.
The 44-year-old appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court docket on Friday and admitted driving with no licence, insurance coverage or an MOT certificates — however a fraud cost was dropped.
Prosecutor Kevin Withey mentioned: “It's an uncommon case stemming from the actual fact a member of the general public was driving by Cardiff and was involved to see one other automobile bearing his personal automobile’s registration quantity.
“He understands it’s not a coincidence he had been receiving parking tickets for his automobile which he knew nothing about. It was reported to police and the defendant’s automobile was stopped.”
Stiff, of Cowbridge Street East, was within the Fiesta on October 22 final 12 months when police approached. His lawyer Declan McSorley instructed the court docket: “He admitted the related offences to police on the scene and fairly correctly denied information of the automobile’s mis-identity. There was some honesty in his behaviour on the scene, albeit some criminality as a result of he was driving illegally on the related time.”
The defendant depends on advantages, getting round £56 per week. Passing sentence District Choose Steve Harmes mentioned: “I respect you've got little or no revenue so these fines could seem minimal to members of the general public however they'll imply one thing to you.”
The decide fined Stiff £95 and ordered him to pay £85 in prosecution prices and a £34 sufferer companies surcharge. The defendant was additionally banned from driving for 9 months.
Chatting with WalesOnline after the sentencing, Stiff mentioned he was glad the fraud cost had been dropped.
He added: “I went to select my daughter up and I used to be parked up outdoors her home, then the following factor I do know I’m surrounded by police. Like I mentioned to them, I’d solely had the automobile three days. I didn’t know something concerning the plates.”
Do not miss the newest information from round Scotland and past - Signal as much as our every day publication right here.