Portsmouth student caught illegally using his dad's Blue Badge so he could park for free during lectures

A STUDENT who '˜blatantly' acted in a '˜despicable' way when regularly parking illegally in a disabled bay was warned by magistrates to change his ways.
Moin Ahmed, who was fined £138 at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court for parking in a disabled parking space when falsely displaying a Blue Badge permit

(180604-0859)Moin Ahmed, who was fined £138 at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court for parking in a disabled parking space when falsely displaying a Blue Badge permit

(180604-0859)
Moin Ahmed, who was fined £138 at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court for parking in a disabled parking space when falsely displaying a Blue Badge permit (180604-0859)

University of Portsmouth civil engineering undergraduate Moin Ahmed, 18, admitted abusing his ill dad’s Blue Badge parking permit so he could park for free when attending lectures.

The defendant was caught by an enforcement officer in November last year when parking his Volkswagen Golf in a disabled bay in Burnaby Road, prosecutor Jenny Ager told Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court.

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Ahmed, who travelled to university from his Linden Road address in Bognor every day, initially denied offering his name to an investigation officer before coming clean and explaining his actions.

‘Mr Ahmed said he parked his car in the disabled bay when going to lessons and that his dad didn’t know he had taken it,’ Ms Ager said. ‘He said he was running late but was aware it was dishonest and premeditated.

‘Mr Ahmed confessed to using the badge two or three times a week.’

West Sussex County Council issued the badge but have withheld returning it following the incident, despite Ahmed’s pleas, the prosecutor said.

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Graham Hopley, for the defence, said: ‘Not having the badge has quite dramatically affected his parents. Mr Ahmed accepts it was a very silly thing to do. He normally parks in the road for free.’

But presiding magistrate Peter Mellor ripped in to the suggestion it was an isolated incident. ‘You seem to imply this was a one-off but it was not. He was doing this on a regular basis which he admitted to,’ he said.

Turning to Ahmed, who pleaded guilty to falsely using a Blue Badge in a disabled parking bay, Mr Mellor said: ‘This was a blatant and deliberate act and an abuse of parking in a disabled bay.

‘Your poor father has been denied the use of the badge because of your selfish and despicable actions.

‘The idea you were late for university we don’t accept. You knew exactly what you were doing but were caught red handed.’

Ahmed was fined £138, told to pay costs of £316.78 and a surcharge of £30.