Court backs appeal to have fine reduced

A 31-year-old Shropshire man has won an appeal to have his compensation and fine reduced after he admitted wasting police time by claiming he was shot in a drive-by shooting.

Dale Parry, of Northfield View, Telford, appeared in Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday. He was appealing against a sentence given to him at Telford Magistrates Court on July 18 this year.

The court heard that Parry had been ordered to pay a £1,700 fine, £2,500 in compensation and £60 court costs as well as a £15 victim surcharge.

At yesterday's hearing Judge Robin Onions, who sat alongside two justices, reduced both the fine and the compensation to £500.

It followed an incident in Ironbridge on March 15, 2008, when after a night of drinking Parry had gone back to a friends and been accidentally shot in the leg by someone playing with an air rifle.

An ambulance was called and Parry informed the crew he had been shot by people driving past in a car. The court was told a firearm team and two double-crewed police units were sent to the scene.

Mrs Joanne Griffiths, for Parry, said he realised his mistake and as soon as he was released from hospital three days after the incident he told police the truth.

She said: "It wasn't an ongoing matter, as soon as he could he rectified his mistake."

The court was told the compensation claim, totalling £7,500 for 18 hours of police time, was split between Parry and two other defendants.

But Mrs Griffiths said the claim seemed excessive - working out at more than £400 an hour. The court heard the Crown Prosecution Service had no information to explain the high costs.

Judge Robin Onions, who sat alongside two justices, said: "We recognise that the facts of this case are worrying. If he thinks that this offence was minor and he has done nothing wrong he should think again.

"Compensation can only be awarded if the court has a proper full and evidential basis. In the case of wasting police time that would be the number of officers involved, the time they spent on the inquiry, their hourly rate and whether the time they spent was in excess of normal duties.

"The Crown Prosecution Service have no information at all on the basis the justices awarded £2,500 against the appellant."