A driver who dropped a cigarette from his window has been fined over £1,000.

Abdul Hasad Chowdhury, of Petworth Way in Hornchurch, was left with the hefty fine after police witnessed the driver litter from his blue Mercedes Benz on September 17, 2022.

At the time the 39-year-old stopped at the traffic lights on Whalebone Lane North, Dagenham, and disposed of the cigarette before driving off.

The courtesy car was traced to Chowdhury, who was initially issued a £150 fixed penalty notice for littering.

The driver tried to appeal the fine on the basis that it was a no-smoking courtesy car and claiming that he is not a regular smoker and normally vapes..

He also suggested he could not completely remember doing it.

But when the appeal was rejected and the case went to court, Chowdhury still refused to pay.

At Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (June 20) the defendant was found guilty and ordered to pay a total of £1,147 – a fine of £230, costs to Barking and Dagenham Council of £825 and a victim surcharge of £92.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Dropping a cigarette on the floor or on our roads may seem like a harmless crime, but there’s no such thing and littering is a criminal offence.

“We won’t stand for people littering our streets and making them dirty and we will always take action if we witness it. This one cigarette has now cost this man over £1,000.”

https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23611949.hornchurch-man-fined-1k-cigarette-litter-dagenham/

On 27/01/2024 09:45 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> A driver who dropped a cigarette from his window has been fined over £1,000.

OK.

> Abdul Hasad Chowdhury, of Petworth Way in Hornchurch, was left with the hefty fine after police witnessed the driver litter from his blue Mercedes Benz on September 17, 2022.
> At the time the 39-year-old stopped at the traffic lights on Whalebone Lane North, Dagenham, and disposed of the cigarette before driving off.
> The courtesy car was traced to Chowdhury, who was initially issued a £150 fixed penalty notice for littering.
> The driver tried to appeal the fine on the basis that it was a no-smoking courtesy car and claiming that he is not a regular smoker and normally vapes.

What sort of "defence" was that?

> He also suggested he could not completely remember doing it.

Was that a denial?

If so, it really ought to have been a "Not Guilty" (however unconvincing).
>
> But when the appeal was rejected and the case went to court, Chowdhury still refused to pay.
> At Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (June 20) the defendant was found guilty and ordered to pay a total of £1,147 – a fine of £230, costs to Barking and Dagenham Council of £825 and a victim surcharge of £92.

Which June would this have been?

Logic suggests it has to be June 2023.

The report refers to that date as ""Tuesday", meaning that it has to
have been published the same week. In fact, the report is dated 24th
June 2023.

So why wait more than seven months to post about it here?

Did it take you that long to decipher the four syllable words used in it?

> Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Dropping a cigarette on the floor or on our roads may seem like a harmless crime, but there’s no such thing and littering is a criminal offence.
> “We won’t stand for people littering our streets and making them dirty and we will always take action if we witness it. This one cigarette has now cost this man over £1,000.”
>
> https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23611949.hornchurch-man-fined-1k-cigarette-litter-dagenham/

Fair enough, but let's hope that Cllr Ghani never has to deal with an
influx of chav-cyclists impatient to get on with a "time trial" and who
don't want to use the public lavatories.

He certainly won't like THAT "litter".

QUOTE: The driver tried to appeal the fine on the basis that it was a no-smoking courtesy car and claiming that he is not a regular smoker and normally vapes.ENDS

You could just say that you are not usually a regular driver and therefore weren't really speeding!