Repeat Blue Badge fraudster who misused disabled daughter’s badge to park near Portsmouth home when there was free parking appears in court

Esmenia Mandinga, of Temple Street, was caught out using the badge while her 13-year-old daughter was at school on May 19 last year.

During patrols by Portsmouth City Council officers in Crasswell Street, a Nissan Juke was spotted in a marked disabled persons’ parking bay.

Amid concerns of misuse by senior investigations officer Stephen Goodall, checks on the badge were carried out, Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard.

‘The security features contained within the badge indicate it was issued to a 13-year-old female. Considering it was a normal school day there was reason to believe the badge may be subject to misuse,’ a statement from the officer, read out to court, said.

‘A security check on this disabled badge confirmed the badge holder was at school.’

When Mandinga returned to the car she told the officer a builder was in her house so she ‘allowed him to use her private off-street parking bay and had used her daughter's badge to park in the nearby disabled bay’.

She added: 'I was only parked for an hour and I was thinking it would not be a problem for me to stay there.’

Mandinga said she was unaware of the rules of use of a disabled badge but did admit knowing knowing she can only use the badge if her daughter is with her.

But the officer said he was aware the defendant had previously been caught misusing the badge in March 2020 and was given a written warning which had included the rules of use.

Referring to that occasion, Mr Goodall said: ‘She had attempted to deceive officers by claiming that her daughter was in the building opposite. However, her daughter was elsewhere in the city and the defendant was using the badge for personal benefit.

‘On this occasion she was issued with a Penalty Charge Notice for the parking contravention, the disabled badge was retained and her liability for the offence discharged by means of a formal warning.’

For Mandinga’s latest offence, the court heard the parking location was ‘directly opposite the defendant’s home address’. This was an ‘area covered by a residential parking zone which she could have parked her car in’.

Alternative parking in the 782 space multi-storey car park at the end of Crasswell Street was also available.

‘Her choice of parking location has denied this bay to someone with genuine disabilities,’ Mr Goodall said.

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Mandinga admitted misusing the badge during her appearance in court.

Magistrates ordered the defendant to pay £479 costs, fined her £120 and told her to pay a £34 surcharge.

The case comes after Portsmouth University student fraudster Chima Asadu, 21, was hauled before the court after he was caught using a stolen disabled Blue Badge he had bought for £20. He had his BMW impounded in Guildhall Walk and was told to cough up £2,500 for his crime.