Successful conviction for blue badge misuse in Southampton

The defendant was ordered to pay a total of £5000 for a series of offences

Southampton City Council’s Parking Services team have carried out a successful prosecution following an investigation into the wrongful use of a Blue Badge permit in order to obtain free parking.

Mathusan Ratnakumar, a 22 year old university student, was ordered to pay £2000 in fines for five instances of evading parking fees, at a hearing at Southampton’s Magistrates' court on Friday 23 July 2021. He was also found guilty of making false representations in an effort to evade payment of four penalty charge notices and was ordered to pay £2400 in fines in relation to this. He was also ordered to pay £540 in costs, and a £60 victim surcharge, taking the total figure to £5000.

Mr Ratnakumar did not attend the court hearing and the case was heard in his absence. The court heard that Mr Ratnakumar had used his grandmother’s disabled person’s Blue Badge to park for free in Pay & Display bays during charging hours in Terminus Terrace, Southampton, on four occasions; 10 January 2021, and on 4, 15 and 21 March 2021 and in a Pay & Display bay in College Street car park on 22 March 2021 instead of paying the appropriate parking fees. 

The grandmother, an 85 year old badge holder, was not in Southampton when her blue badge was used.

Cabinet Member for Environment – Councillor Steven Galton said:  "For those living with a disability, blue badges can be literally life changing. Southampton City Council takes the misuse of Blue Badges extremely seriously, and will take appropriate enforcement action when needed. It’s essential we maintain the integrity of the scheme and protect valuable parking spaces for genuine Blue Badge holders.

"This conviction highlights the hard work of our Parking Services and Legal teams and will hopefully act as a deterrent to anyone who would consider wrongfully using a Blue Badge."