Owner of car with handbrake that 'didn't work at all' given big court bill

A police officer was called to Shifnal Services, off the M54, on February 11 when he received a report that a black BMW X3 had entered the car park. The SUV had a prohibition notice on it for defects identified four days earlier and no insurance, according to the police national computer.

The car was owned by Wesley Salter, who was proven to be using a vehicle in a condition likely to cause danger of injury and two counts of using a passenger vehicle with tyres of insufficient tread, when his case was dealt with at Worcester Justice Centre on October 13.

In written evidence provided to the court, the officer, PC Steve Wootton, said found the BMW at the top of the car park and pulled up behind it, before going to speak to Salter, who was in the driver's seat.

"I could see the ignition was on due to the red lights on the dashboard display and the key was in the ignition," he said. "I asked the male if it was his car, to which he replied that he had just purchased the car about 24 hours ago."

"I informed the male that the BMW still had a prohibition notice on it due to defects, I asked the male was aware of this, he replied 'no'. He did state that he had replaced a damaged rear light and had some work carried out on the suspension."

PC Wootton then examined the X3, and found the centre three-quarters of both rear tyres to be "almost devoid of tread" and the "wear limit bars were only just visible". Both rear tyres had a tread depth of 0.9mm in the centre, well below the legal minimum of 1.6mm.

He continued: "I examined the rear nearside stop light, this was working correctly. I then checked the parking brake (handbrake), I found this defective. The travel was up to the maximum when engaging the parking brake lever and it did not hold the vehicle on a slop.

"There was no free play travel on the lever. This was confirmed later when the BMW X3 was recovered and placed on the rear of a recovery lorry that had a sloped carry bed, the vehicle parking brake did not hold and the vehicle was put into gear to hold it on the bed."

PC Wootton then said the vehicle was seized but Salter refused to sign a traffic offence report ticket and left the scene.

In Worcester on October 13, the case against the 45-year-old was proven via the single justice procedure - with the case dealt with behind closed doors through written evidence.

Salter, of Saville Close, Wellington, received three £440 fines and had his licence endorsed with three penalty points.

He was also ordered to pay a £528 victim surcharge and £90 costs, leaving him having to pay £1,938 to the court.