In the West Midlands, the owner of The Staffordshire Knot pub was fined even though he could prove himself innocent of speeding. Stephen Gittus, 39, parked his Kia outside of his establishment on the date and time that a notice he received in the mail claimed his car was hurtling through Wolverhampton at 40 MPH in a 30 MPH zone on Willenhall Road. Several witnesses confirmed that Gittus was playing darts in a crowd of thirty patrons at around 10pm on the date in question.
Last Tuesday, however, Wolverhampton Magistrates Court dropped the speeding charge but did not care that Gittus was innocent. Instead, they imposed three license demerit points and a £420 (US $840) fine on him for "failing to supply information to police" regarding the ticket. Section 172 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act requires motorists to identify the driver of a vehicle accused of speeding, even if the vehicle in question was parked at the time.
"I pleaded not guilty because I was not driving the car," Gittus explained to the Express and Star newspaper. "I was in the pub having a drink and playing darts with my mates. I couldn't name the driver on that form because, as far as I'm concerned, no-one was driving the car."
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