Portsmouth mum who 'lied' when using disabled son's Blue Badge to park Land Rover tells parking officer: 'I had to get my eyebrows done.'

Aklima Begum, 39, was caught parking illegally in Landport View on June 24 last year when checks revealed the Blue Badge belonged to a 12-year-old.

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard how unemployed Begum returned to her Land Rover before telling lies to the Portsmouth City Council officer.

The defendant said: ‘It’s my son’s badge. I just dropped him off with my mum and dad.’

She claimed her son had been present with her earlier and was now on his way to school.

As the council officer prepared to contact the school to check the story, Begum ‘admitted she had been lying’ and revealed he had in fact been in school all day.

The fraudster said: ‘I thought I could use (the badge). I did not know I couldn’t. Can you let me go just this once. It is my first time.’

When asked to explain why she was parked in the disabled bay, the court heard Begum ‘laughed’ before adding: ‘I had to get my eyebrows done.’

Begum, of Britain Street, Portsea, claimed she was unaware she could not park without her son in the car – another dishonest claim.

She added: ‘I’m sorry. I’ve never been caught before, that's why I don’t know.’

But the court was told Begum was previously given a formal warning after she was caught misusing her son’s badge in 2017 in a city centre pay and display car park.

On that occasion Begum had been warned about the terms of use of the Blue Badge including how her disabled son had to be in the car.

Begum was sent a letter in August last year over her actions for the latest offence, with her responding via email to apologise.

In court, Begum, who has no previous convictions to her name, said: ‘I regret my actions.’

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Magistrates fined her £120, told her to pay £100 costs and a £34 surcharge.

She admitted a single charge of unlawfully using a disabled person’s badge.