Residents who stole and tampered with parking permits will carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and pay combined costs of over £700 following an investigation by our counter fraud and investigation team.
Christian Ifrim of Royal Mews, Southend-on-Sea, pleaded guilty at Southend Magistrates Court on Wednesday 1 December 2021 to one count of fraud by false representation and one count under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act. Aliss Cristea, also of Royal Mews, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation. They each received a 12-month community order with 80 hours unpaid community work, costs £349.62 and victim surcharge £95.00.
Their prosecution is a result of an allegation received by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in October 2020, that two parking permits had been altered and were being displayed in two vehicles parked in Alexandra Street car park, Southend-on-Sea. Officers from APCOA - the council’s civil enforcement contractor - identified the counterfeit permits and issued penalty charge notices (PCNs).
Upon investigating, the council’s counter-fraud and investigation team found the permits had originally been posted to an innocent third party, but the post had been intercepted and the permits altered to avoid car park charges.
Cllr Paul Collins, cabinet member for corporate services and performance delivery, said: “The outcome of this court case is justification for our actions and a win for the residents. By tampering with the parking permits, the guilty parties tried to gain free parking in the town by knowingly stealing permits which were sent to an innocent resident.
“An annual season permit would cost in the region of £1,100. All income raised through parking tickets and parking permits is reinvested back into our highways, so we must always seek to protect the public purse through appropriate investigations. I am pleased the investigating officers found sufficient evidence to provide to the courts for them to reach this outcome.”
All reports of fraud or economic crime against Southend-on-Sea Borough Council are treated extremely seriously. Incidents can be reported in confidence to the counter fraud and investigation team on 01702 215215 or via email.
You do not have to give us your name when you tell us about fraud.