Baby-dash dad stopped by fellow cop

[English Noodles]

A TRAFFIC cop stopped a fellow officer who was driving home to see his sick baby – and gave him a speeding ticket.


Christopher Walker, an officer for Northumbria Police, received the call "every father dreads" when his concerned wife phoned him at work to tell him their five-day-old baby, Charlie, was seriously ill and she needed him to come home immediately.

On his way home to Boldon Mr Walker was pulled over by Pc Sean Garwood travelling at 68mph in a 30mph zone, just after midnight on March 16.


Pc Garwood

Dad-of-two Mr Walker told South Tyneside magistrates that he tried to explain the emergency to Pc Garwood, telling him he needed to get home to his wife and sick child, but said his pleas were ignored.

Instead, Pc Garwood issued him with a speeding ticket and told him he would be prosecuted.

Mr Walker pleaded guilty by post, but argued he shouldn't receive punishment for the offence due to "special reasons".

And after hearing the facts of the case, magistrates yesterday ruled Mr Walker should not be fined or given any penalty points because "he acted perfectly reasonably given the circumstances".

After the case, Mr Walker refused to comment, but his solicitor, Geoffrey Forrester, slammed Pc Garwood for not helping Mr Walker in the emergency.

Mr Forrester said: "Given that Mr Walker received a telephone call that every husband and father dreads – namely that his five-day-old baby was ill and his wife was desperately concerned for him to be at the house to give what support he could – it is unfortunate that the officer was more concerned about giving him a speeding ticket rather than helping him out in an emergency.

"The magistrates decided that, in the interest of justice, they would not punish him and show a fairness, and, above all, a humanity, which really should have been shown at the time of the incident."

The court heard Mr Walker, who was working in Gateshead when he received the call, rushed home in his silver Mitsubishi Colt.

He was caught speeding while travelling on the A184, just after he passed the Whitemare Pool junction.

The court heard the road is usually 70mph, but was temporarily restricted to 30mph for roadworks.

Mr Walker said his son Charlie had been through numerous complications since his birth, and had severe jaundice, weaknesses and eating problems in his first few days.

His concerned wife frantically called her husband saying the baby was unwell and she needed him home immediately.

Mr Walker told her to call the midwife and ambulance before he set off.

Mr Walker, who has specialist police driving training, said: "I knew I was speeding and I knew I was going to get stopped, but I didn't care, I needed to get home to my wife and child.

"I told the officer about the situation but he seemed to be ignoring me. He didn't seem interested in any way.

"He just told me I was getting a speeding ticket and I would be prosecuted for it."

Under cross examination, Pc Garwood claimed Mr Walker did not tell him about the emergency.

Caroline McGurk, prosecuting, argued the situation was not an emergency, and that Mr Walker should be given the penalty points.

Magistrates, however, said they believed Mr Walker's version of events and cleared him of any punishment.

After the case, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Northumbria Police has a responsibility for road safety.

"Officers dealing with incidents on the roads must take account of a number of issues and balance them.

"These include the welfare of individual drivers and the safety of other road users. In regard to this case we note the decision of the court."

Baby-dash dad stopped by fellow cop - Shields Gazette

[Spin]

"I told the officer about the situation but he seemed to be ignoring me. He didn't seem interested in any way.

Being an ignorant cnut is pretty high up the list of requirements for getting a job as a pig in the UK.

"He just told me I was getting a speeding ticket and I would be prosecuted for it."

Humourless, devoid of empathy, unreasonable. I'm much happier only having to read about these bastards these days rather than experience them first hand.

[Rascal]

Another shit for brains in England.

[Bogon]

Wanker.
If my kid was ill and I needed to get home sharpish I would have done the same thing plus 1!
This dude was doing 68mph after midnight on a Tuesday. Hardly rush hour with masses of the general public roaming about.
He's also a traffic cop which means he has had specialist training in handling cars at high speed.

[Butterfly]

typical retard cop you would expect in England or USA for that matter,

[kingwilly]

"I told the officer about the situation but he seemed to be ignoring me. He didn't seem interested in any way.

Being an ignorant cnut is pretty high up the list of requirements for getting a job as a pig in the UK.

"He just told me I was getting a speeding ticket and I would be prosecuted for it."

Humourless, devoid of empathy, unreasonable. I'm much happier only having to read about these bastards these days rather than experience them first hand.

Right, so every police is supposed to allow a speeder off without a ticket if he or she claims that they are racing home to a sick relative?

They'd never give out any tickets in that case.

Good on the young officer for following the letter of the law. I also notice that the unspoken text there is that the police should have let a fellow officer off, just for being an officer.

Again, good on him for not doing that, everyone would be screaming cronyism if he did.

Seems like a case of damned if you do, damned if you dont.

But then again I'd expect a retired turd hurder to express that sort of attitude towards Britian's finest.

[AntRobertson]

Seems like commonsense won out in the end. Can't help but wonder if Mr. Walker will be a bit more circumspect and forgiving himself in the future as well after his experience with an officer who ignored him.

[kmart]

typical retard cop you would expect in England or USA for that matter,

You have personal experience of either?

Only people I find desparaging of Brit coppers are usually criminals or scumbags anyway. Hoping you got served.

[Butterfly]

^ not in the UK, I don't go see the Barbarian Islanders

but in the US, you are dealing with some serious kunt material

[terrytune]

Regular Joe would have been screwed with no recourse!
Only because he is a cop did he get off!
One law for the public another for the GANG of enforcers!
I luv to pay my 100 bahtski and be done with the gangs or at least have the ability to pick my own. I feel bad for the poor pricks living on the rest of the planet!

[kmart]

^ not in the UK, I don't go see the Barbarian Islanders

but in the US, you are dealing with some serious kunt material

I once got stopped by a Gendarme for not being oily enough in Le Mans. Apparently this is a petite infringement down there.

[English Noodles]

I luv to pay my 100 bahtski and be done with the gangs or at least have the ability to pick my own. I feel bad for the poor pricks living on the rest of the planet!

You may feel differently if you or your family here is ever the victim of a serious crime, rape, murder, kidnap, extortion, GBH etc, and the guilty party are let off without so much as a slap on the wrists, all because they had connections or a nice wedge in their bank account.

[john mcdonald]

I was working at Throckley brick works a few years back, I was driving to work on a Sunday morning about 6-30 with my mate who was sleeping I had just arrived in the area it was snowing heavy a wipe out, I stopped at a paper shop left my mate sleeping with the engine running and blowers on, next thing I no is a policeman asking me if the car was mine I said yes then he told me he was charging me with leaving the car with the engine running and parked on double yellow lines the shop keeper told him where to go for one my mate was in the car so it was not unattended and you could not see the yellow lines for the snow and it was the first time I had set foot in the area, I then went with the shop keeper to the cop shop and made a complaint, about 3weeks later I got a letter of apology from the Northumbria police force

[panama hat]

"I knew I was speeding and I knew I was going to get stopped, but I didn't care,

If he knew he was going to be stopped for speeding then why would he speed? Surely the time wasted explaining his infraction would take up more time than not . . .especially if the explanation falls on deaf ears . . . still, I would have sped as well

Under cross examination, Pc Garwood claimed Mr Walker did not tell him about the emergency.

Lying little prick . . . you can rest assured that the driver would have spilled his guts as soon as the dickhead came up to his window

Right, so every police is supposed to allow a speeder off without a ticket if he or she claims that they are racing home to a sick relative?

Agree with this as well, especially if they are cops . . . one rule for one etc...

Good on the young officer for following the letter of the law. I also notice that the unspoken text there is that the police should have let a fellow officer off, just for being an officer.

Correct

You may feel differently if you or your family here is ever the victim of a serious crime, rape, murder, kidnap, extortion, GBH etc, and the guilty party are let off without so much as a slap on the wrists, all because they had connections or a nice wedge in their bank account.

Also agreed



What I don't understand is why the speeding cop made such an issue out of it . . . he was in the wrong, without a doubt

Again, in the same situation I would also speed and curse the cop for pulling me over

[panama hat]

about 3weeks later I got a letter of apology from the Northumbria police force

Did the letter of apology contain any 'full-stops'?

[BobR]

What a piece of human garbage this moral fanatic is. Idiots such as this in positions of authority are why the West is as screwed up as it is.

[dirtydog]

He's also a traffic cop which means he has had specialist training in handling cars at high speed.

No it doesn't, there are 3 levels of training, class 3 is they are equivelent to an ordinary civilian advanced driver, there is no high speed driving in that, it goes up to class one where there is loads of high speed training and skid pans and fun stuff like that.

[Bogon]

^ Cheers DD. Stand corrected.

[English Noodles]

Stand corrected.

Are you wearing orthopedic shoes?

[Bower]

I suppose it would have been wrong to give the guy an escort home to his family with blues and twos and give him a verbal caution when the crisis was over.......