'You can't fine me – I'm a dead soul': Warwickshire Police share bizarre excuses drivers use to avoid speeding tickets

When it comes to dodging speeding fines, Warwickshire Police must have heard them all.

But when a 62-year-old man failed to give details of the driver of his vehicle that was caught speeding at 57mph in a 50mph limit in roadworks on the M40 near Lapworth on September 1 last year, they didn't expect to be given a fine of their own - to the tune of £1,500,000!

The driver from Redditch decided to send letters relating to the Magna Carta, claiming fraud and that his name was ‘trademarked’ and ‘copyrighted’. He claimed charges of £1.5m with eight per cent interest per day if not paid within 10 days.

Needless to say, this didn’t work and he was given a £660 fine and six points on his licence.

And he was not the only person to go to desperate lengths to avoid a fine after being caught by Warwickshire Police.

A 48-year-old woman from landlocked Rugby was caught on speed camera doing 38mph in a 30mph limit on the A426 Dunchurch Road - so she decided to use an old maritime law in her defence!

Not surprisingly, the bizarre tactic did not work and she also received a £660 fine and six points on her licence.

In two other incidents...

• A 44-year-old man from Malvern received a notice through the post requiring him to identify the driver of a vehicle registered to his address that was caught doing 65mph in a 50mph limit on the M42 near Tamworth in Arden on July 15, 2023. Instead he provided officers with a 65-page document claiming fraud, and referencing a parking fine. He also provided an exhibit about the insanity of tax entitled ‘There is a loaf of bread on Morrisons Shelf’.
• The driver of a vehicle owned by a 57-year-old man from Kings Norton, Birmingham was caught doing 48mph in a 40mph limit on the M6 between junctions three and two in June last year. When required to confirm the identity of the driver, he returned a blank notice to Warwickshire Police with a letter attached stating that the person at the address is a 'dead soul' and 'not a living entity'. Staff investigating the offence received a further letter stating that the named person is not deceased but is a legalise fiction of which he has ownership under Common Law Listing.

All the drivers above were also ordered to pay a £264 victim surcharge and £90 costs.

Alison Treharne from Warwickshire Police Road Safety Unit said: “Despite their attempts to avoid accountability for speeding on a road, this approach has always failed at court, and we are sharing some of the examples so you can see why.

“Sadly for them, if they had cooperated with us and provided the driver’s details when required, then the most likely outcome would be for the driver to be offered a speed awareness course. Those eligible can attend one every three years, or complete a conditional offer of a £100 fine and three points.

"However, those caught doing very high speeds go straight to court. Our appeal to the public is, to please comply with the Road Traffic legislation, and do not be taken in by bogus material on the internet that will result in a much more costly outcome.”