A driver used fake plates near Exmouth seafront to dodge parking fines. He received a community order from the court.
Sean Sykes, a 41-year-old local man, replaced his actual plates with false ones while parking. This helped him avoid parking tickets, but the parking notices that reached him were invalid and unenforceable legally. Sykes admitted to fraudulently using a registration mark, and the court gave him a community order.
Sykes claimed he did not plan to cheat the system and knew nothing about parking fines. He parked his campervan last May on Queen Street, which is near the Exmouth seafront.
An officer became suspicious and spoke with Sykes about the plates. Inside the van, his real plates were found, as the prosecutor, Stuart Allen, spoke in court. Sykes represented himself during the court hearing, admitting he broke the law but disagreed with the prosecution’s motive claims.
He stated his legal plates could not get tickets, but his fake plates could do so. He said his aim was actually to buy tickets.
Judge David Evans spoke at the hearing, stating that using fake plates is a serious matter and needs more than just a simple fine. The judge ordered a 12-month community order and also required Sykes to complete 90 days of unpaid work.