Car enthusiast fined nearly £2k for stunt on Great Yarmouth seafront
It happened last summer
Last updated 20th Apr 2021
A car enthusiast who pulled a flagrant stunt in front of police CCTV cameras on Great Yarmouth seafront has been ordered to pay a court bill of nearly £2,000, following enforcement action by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk Constabulary.
Eugen Andrei, aged 28, was filmed in St Nicholas car park on the evening of Sunday, 16 August, breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which aims to tackle vehicle-related anti-social behaviour on and near the seafront.
Police stopped the vehicle and referred the case to the borough council, the relevant enforcement authority for PSPOs. Due to the flagrant and serious nature of the breach, the council opted for prosecution. Fixed penalty notices of £80 are issued for smaller breaches.
At Norwich Magistrates' Court recently, Andrei, formerly of Anson Road, Great Yarmouth, pleaded guilty to breaching the PSPO. Magistrates ordered he pay the maximum fine of £1,000, reduced to £600 for the guilty plea, plus costs of £1,201 and a £80 victim surcharge.
Magistrates stopped short of using their discretionary powers to remove Andrei's licence, owing to his work as a delivery driver, but warned they would if he appeared in court for a second breach of the PSPO.
Sergeant Dan Smith, from the Great Yarmouth Operational Policing Team, said:
"We fully support the council in enforcing this legislation and hope it acts as a deterrent to anyone partaking in this activity. Whilst we encourage members of the public to enjoy our beautiful seafront and tourist area, anti-social driving of any sort will not be tolerated and where the supporting evidence exists we will always look to prosecute offenders.
"Officers in the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, Response Policing, Special Constabulary and Roads Policing will continue to regularly patrol these areas in order to minimise the impact incidents of this nature have on the local community."