Express & Star

Cannock yob who pelted police safety camera van with eggs is fined and banned from driving

A man threw a dozen eggs and a screwdriver at a police safety van, later punching and kicking the same vehicle when he saw it again, a court heard.

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The van was pelted with eggs

Sean Pearson, 28, from Rigby Drive in Cannock, was ordered to pay nearly £700 and banned from driving after being convicted of criminal damage, driving without insurance and two instances of driving without a licence at Cannock Magistrates Court.

The court heard that Pearson attacked the safety camera van when he saw it out monitoring traffic.

On Wednesday, July 25, at around 6.30pm the van, which was positioned on the entrance to Oaklands Business Park, was approached by a blue Ford Focus which then parked across the road from the van.

Minutes later Pearson got out of the car and attacked the van, throwing around a dozen eggs and a screwdriver.

Later that evening, the safety camera van was returning to headquarters and stopped at a petrol station near Cannock.

Pearson and a friend were also at the petrol station. Pearson punched the window and kicked the front of the van smashing the offside headlight. He also punched the wing mirror on the offside, causing the plastic housing to shatter. They then fled.

In court Pearson was fined £80 for the criminal damage, £240 for two counts of driving without insurance and £80 for two counts of driving without a licence. He was told to pay £145 in court costs and £250 in compensation for the damage caused to the vehicle. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Superintendent Jane Hewett, head of justice services, said: "We welcome this conviction and subsequent penalties as it sends a message that this abuse is not acceptable. The safety camera team are there to keep our roads safe and hopefully prevent drivers making bad decisions and endangering those around them.

"We will always push for the toughest penalties when someone assaults or intimidates our staff. The team work across the county to keep our roads safe and the public should respect the valuable contribution they make."