Grandfather of 14 who blocked police speed camera van so passing motorists couldn't be filmed is ordered to pay compensation
A grandfather who blocked a police speed camera before calling an officer a 'jobsworth' has been ordered to pay £150 compensation.
Richard Arnold parked his lorry directly behind the police van, preventing civilian officer Richard Mackenzie from filming speeding drivers on A348 at Ferndown, Dorset on October 29.
Arnold, 61, claimed he only stopped to take an important phone call regarding the health of his newborn grandson, who was in hospital.
But when Mr Mackenzie stepped out of the mobile speed camera van and asked the lorry driver to move as he was 'compromising the ability of the camera', Arnold then ignored his pleas as he was on the phone.
When the officer then again asked him to move, the defendant then lashed out at him.
The grandfather was caught on camera telling Mr Mackenzie: 'You're protecting no one, have a bit of compassion. You're a f****** jobsworth. I will park here for the next hour, and you won't film anyone.'
He demanded the officer's collar number, and when Mr Mackenzie responded that he was just trying to do his job, Arnold shouted: 'And I'm doing mine so go f*** yourself.'
If that wasn't bad enough, he finished by saying he hoped the officer would go home and find his family dead.
Richard Arnold parked his lorry directly behind the police van, preventing civilian officer Richard Mackenzie from filming speeding drivers
61-year-old Arnold claimed he only stopped to take an important phone call regarding the health of his newborn grandson, who was in hospital.
Magistrates described the waste removal worker's behaviour as 'diabolical and appalling' as they sentenced him for obstructing an accredited person and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.
Robert Salamé, prosecuting, said: 'Richard Mackenzie was operating a safety camera in Ferndown, in a layby monitoring for speed offences.
'At 12.34pm the defendant stopped his Peugeot tipper-type vehicle in the layby to take a phone call, obstructing the view of the camera.
'Mr Mackenzie informed the driver he was compromising the ability of the camera and asked him to move. He ignored this request because he was on the phone.
'He asked again and the defendant told him to "f*** off". The defendant then challenged Mr Mackenzie and he and another male, his brother, launched a tirade of abuse.
'He (Mr Mackenzie) retired inside his van.
'Mr Mackenzie, feeling the stress, radioed the police to attend. The defendant returned to his vehicle and drove away before the police arrived.
'Mr Mackenzie said: "I was simply trying to conduct my duties and get on with my work, I shouldn't be subjected to abuse in this way. It was so unnecessary"'.
The incident happened on the A348 at Ferndown, Dorset
Arnold, from Bournemouth, told the court his baby grandson had been rushed into hospital on the day of the incident and his behaviour was out of character.
Representing himself, he said he was sorry and added: 'The phone went in my truck and my hands-free [technology] wasn't working, so I thought I would do the right thing and pull into the layby.
'There was the speed camera, a gap, then a big van so I pulled into the gap to take this phone call that was really important to me.
'All he said was move, and I explained I'm on the phone to the hospital, please give me five minutes.
'I said things I shouldn't have said, and I apologise to the court for that. It was a foolish mistake and will never happen again.'
The court heard Arnold, a father of eight and grandfather of 14, is self-employed in waste removal and a full-time carer for his teenage son.
Iain Stevenson, chair of the bench, told him: 'As we saw in the video, this was a pretty horrendous incident.
'It was very frightening and completely unwarranted upon the police support officer.
'There are absolutely no mitigating circumstances in that video. Your behaviour was frankly diabolical and appalling towards somebody doing their duty.
'Your offences are serious enough for us to make a community order.'
The magistrates ordered Arnold to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and to pay £150 compensation to Mr Mackenzie. He also has to pay costs totalling £349.
