Liam Pritchard of Pontardawe used the badge to park at Porthcawl’s John Street Car Park instead of paying for a parking ticket.
Bridgend County Borough Council’s parking team said that its checks revealed the badge had been reported lost, was subsequently cancelled, and that the person misusing the badge was not the badge holder.
Mr Pritchard appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court on 27 May where he pleaded guilty to having a disabled blue badge in his possession for fraudulent use.
The magistrates, who remarked that it was a shame that Mr Pritchard had behaved in a way which led to him losing his good character, imposed a £816 fine, a victim surcharge of £326 and court costs of £5,080 – totalling £6,222 which is due to be paid by Mr Pritchard.
Cllr Hywel Williams, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, said: “The Blue Badge Scheme is designed to allow disabled residents to park closer to their destinations, thereby maintaining inclusivity and independence. Inevitably, the misuse of blue badges means that people with disabilities may be prevented from parking in an accessible place.
“Our parking and fraud investigation teams are working collaboratively to raise awareness of this issue and to carry out intensive checks in a bid to deter the misuse of blue badges across the county borough.
“We really hope that this case demonstrates that the fraudulent use of blue badges will not be tolerated, and our teams are committed to addressing this problem. We are working to support those residents who legitimately need blue badges to carry out their lives without car parking presenting an obstacle.”
Discover more from Swansea Bay News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
