Shayaam Mahmood, 27, of Headingley, Leeds, was fined just £40 for breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) by anti-social driving in Bradford, despite the case costing taxpayers £1,099 to prosecute. Magistrates awarded Bradford Council only £300 in costs, leaving the remaining £799 to be paid by the public.
Case details
The incident occurred on Birksland Street, a busy road in Bradford, at 10:15 pm. Mahmood was driving a Mercedes C63, a luxury vehicle that can cost over £100,000 new. He accelerated loudly while in heavy traffic, creating unnecessary noise. Enis Rice, prosecuting for Bradford Council, said: “Vehicles were trying to navigate through a narrow road. One of the vehicles slowed down compared to the other vehicles in front of it, creating a gap. The vehicle, a Mercedes C63, then accelerated quickly causing unnecessary noise, and sped up to the queuing traffic ahead of it.”
Police tracked down Mahmood and issued him a £100 penalty notice for breaching the PSPO. However, he failed to pay, leading the council to take the case to court. Mahmood did not appear but pleaded guilty by contacting the court, allowing sentencing in his absence.
Financial impact
Mr Rice urged magistrates to impose the full £1,099 costs on Mahmood, stating: “I know it sounds a lot of money, but it takes a lot of money to get these cases to court.” However, after considering Mahmood’s financial situation, magistrates fined him just £40 and ordered him to pay £300 toward costs, plus a £16 court surcharge. The taxpayer must cover the remaining £799.
Similar case
Earlier the same day, magistrates fined another motorist £40 for shouting at a traffic warden and threatening to stab her, also under a PSPO. That case cost the council nearly £1,100 to prosecute, with only £300 in costs awarded. Combined, the two cases cost taxpayers approximately £1,600.
