Motorist Ordered to Pay £1,160 for Misusing Grandson’s Blue Badge

A GRANDFATHER who misused a child’s disabled parking badge has been ordered to pay £1,160 following a successful prosecution by Reading Borough Council.

Terry Mulkerrins, of Crawford Place, London, admitted using his grandson’s Blue Badge to park in Reading while he was at work. Reading Magistrates heard that a parking officer contacted the Council’s Corporate Investigations Team about a possible misuse of a child’s disabled parking permit in London Street on 4th July 2019. The officer suspected at the time that the child should be in school. The investigators identified the holder of the Blue Badge and established that the child had in fact been in school all day. A Blue Badge can only be displayed if the holder is travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger. It is a criminal offence to misuse the badge. Mr Mulkerrins, 55, appeared before Reading Magistrates on 14th February 2020 where he admitted one offence of wrongfully displaying a disabled person’s badge in a parked vehicle and one offence under S1(1) of the Fraud Act 1986. He told the court he had used the Blue Badge because he was having a stressful day. Building contractor Mr Mulkerrins was fined £600 for the Fraud Act offence and was ordered to pay £500 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Cllr Tony Page, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said:

“Both our parking enforcement officer and investigations team deserve praise for their work in this successful prosecution. “The Blue Badge scheme is in place to enable people with limited mobility to park close to their homes or their destination. Misuse of Blue Badges undermines the system and takes parking spaces away from those who genuinely need them. “We will not hesitate to take action where people are found to be committing fraud or abusing the system.”