Apple Grumble

‘YOU would have thought that 23-year-old Sarah McCaffrey would have learned her lesson after being fined £60 for eating an apple while driving.

Apple Mc

But the nursery nurse is taunting police this morning as she leans on the bonnet of her Ford Ka like a modern-day Eve with a half-eaten apple in her hand.

And that after they had spent £10,000 – and 13 months – bringing her to justice in the first place.

The Mail says Sarah faced magistrates no fewer than 10 times after she missed breakfast and was spotted in December 2003 holding an apple while turning left at a junction on her way to work.

The sorry saga started when she refused to pay the original £30 on-the-spot fine, arguing that she was in control of her car for the whole time.

The police then commissioned the force helicopter, a light aircraft and a patrol car equipped with a video camera to provide photographic evidence of the offence.

And they finally got their woman yesterday when a court in South Tyneside ruled in their favour.

However, instead of being impressed by the police’s thoroughness, defence lawyer Geoffrey Forrester is aghast.

”Nothing illustrates the nonsense of this case,” he says, ”more than the resources that have been thrown at it.

”This is all about trying to crush her because she is the one who stood up and said ‘This is silly’.”

That’s all very well, but where do we draw the line? An apple today, a grapefruit tomorrow, a bowl of cereal the day after…’

Posted: 25th, January 2005 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink