Council clueless over how to catch £80,000 parking cheat
This is Scotland
ALASTAIR DALTON
TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT
COUNCIL officials have admitted they have no idea how to make Scotland's biggest parking cheat repay his fines.
Sandy Gillespie yesterday bragged about racking up £80,000 in penalties after receiving 472 parking tickets in Edinburgh in less than two years.
However, the city council and sheriff officers have so far been unable to make him repay the massive fines backlog.
The situation has angered motoring groups, which said Mr Gillespie had made a mockery of the parking fines system, and it sent out the wrong message to motorists.
It is understood Mr Gillespie has changed his vehicle six times in an attempt to evade officials.
He is also believed to live with his girlfriend, who is the mother of his daughter, and all the household assets are claimed to be owned by her.
Regulations restrict what sheriff officers can seize in such circumstances, and vehicles cannot be impounded if they contribute to someone's livelihood.
Three years ago, Mr Gillespie climbed into his car with his ten-year-old daughter while it was about to be towed away to prevent the operation from proceeding.
After he was identified as Scotland's worst parking fine accumulator, he said: "There doesn't seem to be anything they can do to get the money off me. I have been getting tickets since I moved here four years ago.
"I am probably nearing 1,000 tickets now and must owe the council around £80,000. It's hard to keep track because I've changed my van a few times to throw the wardens off," he said.
"I was getting two tickets a day and I'd just throw them away. Then the council started lifting my van before giving me a ticket.
"I swapped my white van for the blue pick-up because they didn't instantly recognise it. My new trick is to park down a side street close to a wall so they can't get near it with the tow truck. I have had loads of demand letters from sheriff officers. We've had the bailiffs round but my girlfriend, Tracy, tells them I'm not in."
Sue Nicholson, the campaigns manager for the RAC Foundation, said: "We would all like to get away with parking fines, but for this man to boast openly about it is an insult. People who see him doing this might be tempted to follow his example.
"Sheriff officers should have the power to impound his vehicle - I do not think law-abiding motorists would have a problem with that."
Neil Greig, the head of policy in Scotland for AA Motoring Trust, said: "It is very disappointing they cannot find a way of pursuing him, but they should never have allowed this situation to develop with so many tickets.
"It is very bad publicity for the system - the first high-profile persistent parking offender in Edinburgh seems to be thumbing his nose at them."
Parking fines in Edinburgh are £60, but this increases to £90 if they are not paid within two months. A spokeswoman for the council said it pursued such fines using sheriff officers rather than through the courts.
She said: "We don't comment on individual cases. However, with motorists who flout parking regulations constantly and owe money, the sheriff officers have the power to seize assets and arrange for payments to be deducted from earnings."
Andrew Burns, the council's executive member for transport, said: "We do use every available element of the law to pursue these people, but several of these individuals adopt numerous tactics to avoid full payment, committing other offences in the process. The council does everything it can to stop these serious criminal offences and we will continue vigorously to pursue full and proper payment for what are wholly illegal and unacceptable activities
ALASTAIR DALTON
TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT
COUNCIL officials have admitted they have no idea how to make Scotland's biggest parking cheat repay his fines.
Sandy Gillespie yesterday bragged about racking up £80,000 in penalties after receiving 472 parking tickets in Edinburgh in less than two years.
However, the city council and sheriff officers have so far been unable to make him repay the massive fines backlog.
The situation has angered motoring groups, which said Mr Gillespie had made a mockery of the parking fines system, and it sent out the wrong message to motorists.
It is understood Mr Gillespie has changed his vehicle six times in an attempt to evade officials.
He is also believed to live with his girlfriend, who is the mother of his daughter, and all the household assets are claimed to be owned by her.
Regulations restrict what sheriff officers can seize in such circumstances, and vehicles cannot be impounded if they contribute to someone's livelihood.
Three years ago, Mr Gillespie climbed into his car with his ten-year-old daughter while it was about to be towed away to prevent the operation from proceeding.
After he was identified as Scotland's worst parking fine accumulator, he said: "There doesn't seem to be anything they can do to get the money off me. I have been getting tickets since I moved here four years ago.
"I am probably nearing 1,000 tickets now and must owe the council around £80,000. It's hard to keep track because I've changed my van a few times to throw the wardens off," he said.
"I was getting two tickets a day and I'd just throw them away. Then the council started lifting my van before giving me a ticket.
"I swapped my white van for the blue pick-up because they didn't instantly recognise it. My new trick is to park down a side street close to a wall so they can't get near it with the tow truck. I have had loads of demand letters from sheriff officers. We've had the bailiffs round but my girlfriend, Tracy, tells them I'm not in."
Sue Nicholson, the campaigns manager for the RAC Foundation, said: "We would all like to get away with parking fines, but for this man to boast openly about it is an insult. People who see him doing this might be tempted to follow his example.
"Sheriff officers should have the power to impound his vehicle - I do not think law-abiding motorists would have a problem with that."
Neil Greig, the head of policy in Scotland for AA Motoring Trust, said: "It is very disappointing they cannot find a way of pursuing him, but they should never have allowed this situation to develop with so many tickets.
"It is very bad publicity for the system - the first high-profile persistent parking offender in Edinburgh seems to be thumbing his nose at them."
Parking fines in Edinburgh are £60, but this increases to £90 if they are not paid within two months. A spokeswoman for the council said it pursued such fines using sheriff officers rather than through the courts.
She said: "We don't comment on individual cases. However, with motorists who flout parking regulations constantly and owe money, the sheriff officers have the power to seize assets and arrange for payments to be deducted from earnings."
Andrew Burns, the council's executive member for transport, said: "We do use every available element of the law to pursue these people, but several of these individuals adopt numerous tactics to avoid full payment, committing other offences in the process. The council does everything it can to stop these serious criminal offences and we will continue vigorously to pursue full and proper payment for what are wholly illegal and unacceptable activities
posted by Neil Herron at 10:04 AM
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