A man who used an elderly lady’s blue badge to park tried to escape prosecution by pretending he was helping a disabled man to a medical appointment.

When Kingston Council officers approached Robert Simmonds, 76, from Colborne Way, Worcester Park, about his use of a neighbour's blue badge he said he found it in a bin.

He had got a ticket after parking in Lady Booth Road car park in Kingston on November 16 with the photocopied blue badge from Sutton Council.

Prosecutor Saima Khan told Richmond Magistrates' Court on Tuesday: “He stated he had met a male in the car park of his bowls club who could not walk and was in a panic as he had a medical appointment in Kingston.
 

"Mr Simmonds offered to give him a lift. When asked for the gentleman’s name Mr Simmonds replied he did not know it, nor could he give any details of the vehicle.

"He said he dropped off the male outside Primark in Eden Street and had then gone and parked in Lady Booth Road and used the badge to park.”

But when prosecutors suggested using CCTV to confirm his story he admitted he had told “a pack of lies”.

The prosecutor told the court Simmonds had found the badge in a Waitrose car park bin and tried to hand it in to the police but the office was closed.

He denied knowing Ivy Robinson, the owner of the badge. But he pleaded guilty to fraud at Richmond Magistrates’ Court on July 9.

The court heard Simmonds had said he could not provide an explanation of why he had done it on this occasion, saying he had done something stupid.

He was given a £200 fine, £200 contribution to costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Outside his home after the case, Simmonds said: “What happened was what happened. I do not want to talk about it. I like to keep my business to myself.”

  • Lynda Robinson, 55, of Cheam Common Road, Worcester Park, was charged with using a blue badge belonging to her mother Ivy Robinson on November 15 last year in the Ashdown Road car park. She is due to appear at Richmond Magistrates’ Court on August 13.