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01 February 2019
A man who pleaded guilty to using a fake Blue Disabled Badge was sentenced to a two-month curfew between 9pm and 6am, at Westminster Magistrates Court last week. Ponciano Dela Rosa (48), of Bell Lane, NW4 plead guilty at his initial hearing in January, but the District Judge requested the defendant see probation officer and the matter was adjourned for sentencing later in the month. The Court heard that on 21 May 2018 one of our investigation officers observed a car belonging to Dela Rosa parked in a designated disabled-only parking bay in Lincoln Street, SW3. The car had a Blue Badge on display which indicated it was for a man born in 1944. The officer suspected that the badge on display was a fake and upon investigating discovered the badge had been issued to a 74 year-old from Camden who had passed away the previous month. When Dela Rosa returned to his car he was confronted by the officer who confiscated the badge, which turned out to be a photocopy of the original. During a subsequent interview with Council investigation officers Dela Rosa, who had claimed to have previously been employed as a driver by the deceased badge owner, admitted to parking the vehicle and displaying the badge. On sentencing Dela Rosa to a Community Order, the Magistrates said “Mr Del Rosa works six-days a week and we don’t want to jeopardise his employment in any way. We have taken into account that you accepted your guilt early on and your remorse.” Commenting on the result, Cllr Mary Weale, Kensington and Chelsea Lead Member for Finance and Modernisation, said: “It is a particularly egregious offence to steal a potential parking space from someone in genuine need. We are determined to tackle people pretending to have blue badges and I hope this case sends out a clear message that we will take action whenever we discover this abuse taking place.”