Pensioner guilty of fraudulently using wife's blue badge (From Croydon Guardian)

Woodside pensioner guilty of fraudulently using wife's blue badge in Croydon

7:00am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Chris Baynes, Reporter

A motorist has been found guilty of fraudulently using his wife's disabled parking permit while shopping in Croydon.

Stephen Sempasa of Gunnell Close, Woodside, denied he had wrongly used the permit when he was seen parking his car in High Street, walking from the car into Surrey Street Market before returning with groceries on August 6 last year.

The 67-year-old told Croydon Magistrates Court his wife, the badge holder, was with him at the time, but this was countered by officer testimony that nobody was seen with him.

On Tuesday, Sempasa was given a six month conditional discharge by magistrates.

The blue badge has been confiscated by the council and he was also ordered to pay £150 towards prosecution costs.

Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for environment and highways said: "This is another case of a motorist flagrantly flaunting the rules regarding the use of the blue badge and thinking he’d be able to talk his way out of it.

"The fraudulent use of disabled blue badges is something that angers both those that use the scheme responsibly and other motorists who see it being abused - and it’s an offence that we, in Croydon, will continue to combat with the full weight of the law."