'We've got him': Driver fined $450 for pouring coffee out of his van
A NSW van driver, who claims to have been targeted by council parking officers, has been fined $450 after his friends emptied a thermos of coffee next to his vehicle.
As he recovered from knee surgery at his Brunswick Heads home, mechanic Matthew Banks asked his mates to move his 6.5m van in a bid to avoid another ticket from Byron Shire Council.
His friends moved the van down to the nearby Brunswick River, but while doing so discovered the milk in their thermos of coffee was expired, prompting them to pour it out alongside the van.
When they returned from a short walk, they discovered the $450 fine for “aggravated deposit [of] litter from vehicle” from the Byron Shire Council.
While they weren’t able to confront the local rangers, they claimed a local family witnessed the fine being issued and were “disgusted” be the behaviour of the parking officers.
“The rangers saw the coffee on the ground and didn't know what to fine me with so they pulled out an A4 binder and flicked through it looking for something," Mr Banks learned fron the witnessing family
“They got to the seventh page and cried out ‘we've got him’. I couldn't believe it when the family told me.”
Already paying off a series of parking fines, Mr Banks went to the police station to question his latest ticket, where he was told he should have been issued a warning first.
“They even told me that they pour out alcohol when they catch people street drinking, which would be an offence. I'd love to see the rangers try to fine to cops,” he added.
“I've lived all over Australia but this council is a disgrace to human society. They shouldn't be able to bully and intimidate people like this,” Mr Banks added.
He remains adamant council members are targeting him because of his large van.
A Byron Shire Council spokesperson told 7 News Online they deny any "enforcement officers target any individuals".
"They do a difficult job and work hard at building relationships in the community to ensure it remains safe and clean for locals and visitors," she said.
"Our Enforcement Officers investigate matters according the available evidence, and when they issue infringement notices they take into account the nature and strength of the evidence in each case."
