Pensioner with Parkinson's disease convicted over £3.34 after car bill mishap

An 86-year-old pensioner on the outskirts of Newcastle, who has Parkinson’s disease, was convicted for an unpaid car tax bill of £3.34 after a January paperwork miss. The annual £20 tax for his silver Ford Fiesta was inadvertently overlooked when his daughter, who manages his finances, moved house. A DVLA criminal prosecution covered a six-week period between February and mid-March, during which the vehicle was not properly taxed. He had already paid an £80 financial penalty he believed was linked to the same issue, leading to confusion. At Lincoln Magistrates’ Court last Thursday, the magistrate accepted his written guilty plea and issued an absolute discharge plus a £3.34 compensation order.