Re: Pensioner dragged through courts for doing 35mph in 30 zone aswife was having epileptic fit

Martin

Nuxx Bar wrote:

Sorry nuxy, this one does not add up, apart from not being a speed
camera as another poster pointed out, the guys story is strange.

> But despite his explanation and a police photograph clearly showing
> his wife Rovina in distress, the 63-year-old has been told he is to
> face a court.

So, not found guilty yet, he will go to court, as he has chosen to do.

> Sydney Duffy with wife Rovina, who was suffering her third epileptic
> fit of the day in the passenger seat when he was photographed breaking
> a 30mph speed limit
>
> "I'm staggered that this is happening," he said yesterday. "My first
> duty was to my wife.
>
> "I was frightened she would swallow her tongue or bang her head on the
> door or window. Worse still, it could have led us to crash into
> oncoming traffic.
>
> "My priority was to get parked and get Rovina in a position where she
> couldn't harm herself and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again."

Good idea. So why did he accelerate from below 30mph to 35mph? If his
wife was fitting, then he should have just stopped where he was. I am
sure the police would have helped.

> "They've now sent the file to the Crown Prosecution Service and told
> me that I'll have to go to court.

Which is what he requested when he wrote back. The court will be able to
give a fair judgement.

> "I understand that I broke the law but I find it ironic that I was
> doing so whilst trying to look after my wife and preventing an
> accident from happening on the roads.
>
> "Had I carried on driving whilst she was thrashing around she could
> have hit the steering wheel and forced us to swerve across the road
> into the path of traffic coming in the other direction.

Again, instead of slowing down, he sped up. His answer does not add up.
If she hit the steering wheel at 35, the chances a crash occurring are
larger than if she hit the steering wheel at 30, or even 25. He should
have been able to slow to 25 easily in the time that he accelerated to 35.
He also carried on driving, which is what he is claiming he was trying
not to do.

> "I needed to stop and for a few seconds I strayed over the speed limit
> in a bid to get us off the road as quickly as possible. I don't see
> much wrong with that.
>
> "I just can't believe after telling the police what had happened that
> they're still pursuing this - even with the photographic evidence.
>
> "I've been a law-abiding person all of my life and would rather die
> than break the law."
>
> Mrs Duffy, 63, developed epilepsy after suffering from meningitis and
> has up to seven fits a day. She said: "Sydney has always looked after
> me. It's a 24-hour job with lots of stress. This is the last thing we
> need."

My sympathies for her.

> "Anyone caught speeding within the nationally agreed limits has the
> option of either accepting the conditional offer of a fixed penalty,
> or taking the matter to court where any mitigating circumstances may
> be considered by the magistrates."

Says it all, he has decided to take it to court.