Court victory ends 40p farce (From Stroud News and Journal)

Court victory ends 40p farce

A YOUNG mum who was dragged to court three times over a 40p parking ticket is now calling for a public enquiry.

Laura Trotman, 25, was delighted on Monday when Gloucester Magistrated dismissed Stroud District Council's plea for an appeal against the absolute discharge she had been given in November.

But on Monday, she was amazed to learn the council was again considering pursuing the claim by asking the High Court to reverse the decision as it believed it did not get a fair hearing.

However in an 11th hour u-turn, yesterday, Tuesday, chief executive David Hagg decided it was not in the taxpayer's best interests to do so.

On January 22 this year, Mrs Trotman, of Ringfield Close, Nailsworth, parked at the council-owned multi-storey car park in London Road.

As she went to pay 40p for her parking, she says the meters had been vandalised and were covered in 'out of order' signs.

She left the car without a ticket but was dismayed to return an hour later to find a parking ticket on her windscreen.

What then followed was threatening letters demanding £100.

Because of a stay in hospital, Mrs Trotman fell behind with correspondence with council chiefs and the fine spiralled out of control.

At one point court bailiffs turned up at the home she shares with husband Paul and children Danielle, 6 and Luke, 4.

The case appeared before magistrates in June and November, when Mrs Trotman was granted an absolute discharge.

"This has been a vendetta against me," said Mrs Trotman.

"I think there should be an enquiry and heads should roll.

"On Monday, I didn't know if they were practising for their Christmas pantomime. They have wasted taxpayer's money.

"Would you ever think this would happen from parking the car?"

Mr Hagg said the council still considered that there were issues of legal principle, which it would be taking up privately with court administrators. And a spokesman for the council said its issue was with the court process rather than Mrs Trotman.

"The fact that Mrs Trotman gave evidence when we could not has led to us being painted as the bad guys," she said.

She denied Mrs Trotman's claims that the meters were out of order and said that 656 people did purchase tickets in the same car park that day.