Men fined for stealing over £1,000 from parking meters

7:29pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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Two men who admitted stealing over £1,000 from parking meters have been slapped with fines.

Police were called after Ertil Brucaj and Gentjan Dardha were seen tampering with a parking meter in Church Road, Barnes, on March 3 this year in full view of CCTV.

"He is very remorseful of what has happened. The money was recovered and I am not aware of any damage done to the machines."

Hannah Kinch

Officers found the duo, who are both 24, at different bus stops and asked Brucaj to unlock the car where five parking meter money boxes, containing £1,334.50, were discovered.

The pair from Hounslow pleaded guilty to theft charges at Richmond Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Jackie Morgan-Smith, prosecuting, said when interviewed Brucaj, of Bath Road, said he stole the money because his life was in danger. However in the CCTV images there was no sign of him being under duress.

Hannah Kinch, mitigating for Brucaj, said: "He still maintains the reason he was involved was that some threats were made to him. It is not justification but might give some weight to what he was doing. He was told he simple would be taking part and took it as a threat to him or his wife.

"He wished he had just gone to the police. He is very remorseful of what has happened. The money was recovered and I am not aware of any damage done to the machines."

In mitigation for Dardha of Millfield Road, Neil Harris said his client had been drawn into something very serious because he believed he would receive about £150 and had no money at the time.

Mr Harris told magistrates that although Dardha had previous convictions none were similar to this one and this could be seen by the amateur fashion of the theft on the CCTV images.

Both men were fined a total of £485 each by magistrates.