Police nick woman trying to avoid parking ticket

[letsmakeamark]

Chris Tarrant's ex-wife thrown in police van after two-mile car chase by officer trying to give her a parking ticket

 

By Neil Sears

Last updated at 9:28 AM on 17th July 2009

 

Ingrid Tarrant: The TV presenter's ex-wife was convicted after resisting arrest

 

Chris Tarran’s former wife Ingrid has been convicted of resisting arrest – after she was chased for two miles and wrestled to the ground by police in a row over a parking ticket.

Mrs Tarrant, 54, had been ‘abrupt and rude’ with an officer who tried to issue her with the ticket for leaving her Saab parked at a bus stop, a court heard.

The policeman, who said he feared she had ‘mental health issues’, was astounded when she suddenly leapt into her car and drove off, despite repeatedly being asked to stop.

He then followed her in his van for two miles before eventually stopping her on a country lane, wrestling her to the ground and handcuffing her.

The incident was laid bare when Mrs Tarrant, from Cobham, Surrey, appeared at Staines magistrates’ court for a two-day trial. It ended with her being convicted on four charges.

She was ordered to pay a £2,700 fine and £1,200 costs for parking in a bus stop, failing to stop for police, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest.

The incident unfolded on Christmas Eve last year when she returned to her silver Saab, parked in a bus stop in Cobham High Street, after completing her Christmas shopping – to find PC Peter Groves writing out a ticket for obstruction.

According to the officer, Mrs Tarrant was ‘abrupt and rude’ and got into the car and drove off before the penalty was issued, despite repeated requests for her to stop.

The court heard that her vehicle was eventually stopped around two miles away and, after a struggle, PC Groves managed to handcuff Mrs Tarrant and force her into the cage in the back of his police van.

PC Groves told the court: ‘I was not sure why the whole incident had taken place at all over the minor parking matter. I did not know what I was dealing with.

‘I was concerned that the car was stolen or the person had been drinking or if there were mental health issues. I was getting no response.’

Jason Cross, defending, accused PC Groves of triggering the situation with his ‘curt and dismissive’ attitude in the High Street, and described what had happened as ‘barbaric police brutality’.

Guilty: Ingrid Tarrant leaves Staines Magistrates Court after being convicted of resisting arrest

 

Mr Cross said: ‘Mrs Tarrant tried to keep the situation on a friendly basis. It was clear that you were not willing to engage on anything other than a hostile basis with her. You came up to her and got in her face. You were the person acting aggressively.

‘The reason for Mrs Tarrant acting in this manner was wholly down to your behaviour from near the very beginning. Down a quiet country lane you hemmed her in and you acted outside all lawful authority that you once had.’

Giving evidence, tearful Mrs Tarrant said she left the bus stop because she felt frightened by the officer – whom she described as a ‘psycho, out of control’ – and was later ‘ petrified’ and hurt in the struggle.

Mrs Tarrant told magistrates: ‘I felt intimidated, I felt trapped by this man and his words. It was like he was keeping me almost hostage and saying things to keep the situation going. I thought, “I am out of here”.’

But Paul Lund, prosecuting, rejected her claims.

‘The world and his wife are there and you are frightened?’ he said to her. ‘You are surrounded by the good burghers of Cobham – if you are in any danger, that was the place to stay.

‘You are embellishing your story and deliberately looking to deceive the court.’

Passing the guilty verdicts, chairman of the bench TerenceDavie said it was difficult to accept there was such a threat on a busy high street that Mrs Tarrant felt she could not remain.

Mr Davies added: ‘PC Groves had every right to complete his inquiries, and we find he was obstructed in doing so. PC Groves had reasonable grounds to arrest Mrs Tarrant.’

Mrs Tarrant, who was reluctant to discuss the incident yesterday, has a history of problems over parking fines.

Three years ago a bailiff turned up at her home demanding payment of £500 in parking fines, and offered her a choice of handing over her television or the cash.

Mrs Tarrant said at the time: ‘I’m not proud of the fact that I’ve got three tickets. I have got previous. Chris says I never park a car, I abandon it! But I was prepared to pay the consequences. I will have to be more careful where I park in the future.’

Mrs Tarrant’s marriage to her husband, the quiz master on ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, ended four years ago.

The couple, who had two children together, split their £25million fortune roughly in half.

 

 

Read more: Chris Tarrant's ex-wife Ingrid convicted of resisting arrest after fleeing parking ticket | Mail Online

Edited July 29, 2009 by letsmakeamark

[TD27]

Hmmm, I find it difficult to have any sympathy here.

 

That said, some people do some silly, out of character things on the spur of the moment.

[dx100uk]

yea

simple

don't park in a bus stop and put your finger up to everyone else.

 

dx

[letsmakeamark]

Perhaps she thought it was her ex husband and ran off !!!

[TD27]

There seems to be little sympathy for her too from those reading the report from the Daily Mail judging by their comments.

[gwc1000]

She has my sympathy.

[green_and_mean]

She obviously has some 'mental' problem to think that you can just ignore a PC and drive off and nothing will come of it. To park on a bus stop whilst you go shopping just shows her contempt for the law. Cobham is not exactly a hard place to park in with much of it unrestricted, like a lot of people with a bit of money they think they are unaccountable.

[gwc1000]

like a lot of people with a bit of money they think they are unaccountable.

 

Now we are getting to the crux of the matter. More help (and sympathy) if you have no money?

[green_and_mean]

Now we are getting to the crux of the matter. More help (and sympathy) if you have no money?

 

I'm sure she had the best help money can buy!

[TD27]

I don't know if its money that breeds a certain attitude or if that attitude and arrogance was always there.

 

I've met lots a wealthy people in the course of my job who are perfectly reasonable (even when contesting matters) and the occassional few who do seem to believe they are somehow above certain things and can indeed buy in some heavyweight assistance. What I would say is they usually come again.