Off Topic The Politics Thread

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Should the UK remain a part of the EU or leave?

  • Stay in

    Votes: 56 47.9%

  • Get out

    Votes: 61 52.1%
  • Total voters
    117
  • Poll closed .
The Tory party is like living with an abusive spouse.
I promise I’ll be better next time *Punch*
No, next time, absolutely, better *Kick*
We need some trust in this relationship *Bashes head against wall*
 
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kiwiqpr said:
the police are far too busy with these old fools
much easier than catching real crims

Terminally-ill university lecturer, 55, who mooned a speed camera for his bucket list goes on trial as arresting police officer tells court: 'He was singing and calling me names'
  • Darrell Meekcom, 55, was arrested in the garden of his home in Kidderminster
  • He allegedly dropped his trousers at a mobile speed camera van in November
  • The lecturer is also alleged to have verbally abused the arresting police officers
  • He is standing trial at Redditch Magistrates Court' accused of obstructing police
By JAMIE PHILLIPS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 01:57 AEST, 3 August 2022 | UPDATED: 01:57 AEST, 3 August 2022





A terminally-ill university lecturer who mooned a speed camera for his bucket list has gone on trial - as a police officer who arrested him tells the court of how he was 'singing and calling me names'.

Darrell Meekcom, 55, was arrested in the garden of his home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, by several officers after dropping his trousers at a mobile speed camera van in November last year.

The father-of-two, who has multiple system atrophy, is also alleged to have verbally abused the arresting officers, calling one a 'c***' before singing Monty Python’s 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life'.

Meekcom is standing trial at Redditch Magistrates Court' accused of obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty.

Sarah Hurd, prosecuting, told the court today that police had attended the lecturer's home 'for matters the court did not need to know about'.

She said Mr Meekcom was uncooperative when officers arrived at the address, directing abuse towards them before resisting arrest.

Opening the case, Ms Hurd added that it had only been a 'short piece of obstruction', but the defendant's actions were 'unjustified'.

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Terminally-ill university lecturer Darrell Meekcom allegedly dropped his trousers in the direction of a mobile police van in November last year

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The court heard that several police officers arrested the lecturer in the garden of his home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire

She continued: 'For matters that you do not need to know about officers attended the defendant’s address at around 12.30pm on November 5.

'They went to investigate an offence and they knock on the door. The defendant answers through a window and says he will not cooperate. He does not want to give his name or discuss anything with the officers.'

The court heard that, as he continually refused to cooperate, Meekcom was 'taken to the ground' before informing officers that he has 'very serious health conditions'.

Police bodycam footage played to the court showed Mr Meekcom telling West Mercia Police officer PC Gareth Jones: 'I mooned a speed camera. I’m terminally ill. I’ve got Parkinson’s mate.'

Recalling the incident, PC Jones said: 'He immediately said you c***s, you reckless c***s. I was concerned by what he would do next.

He added: 'From the very beginning he was doing whatever he could to stop us. We did move the handcuffs as we were listening to him about his health.

'He was singing to me, calling me names, commenting on my hair, making it difficult.

'All I know is the bits he were singing at me were from [Always Look On] The Bright Side Of Life.'

Meekcom, a registered nurse, previously appeared before magistrates wearing a t-shirt depicting cartoon character Bart Simpson flashing his bottom towards police.

The same image was sprayed on an underpass near his home by a graffiti artist known as the Scottish Banksy as the court case gained worldwide notoriety.

Speaking at the time, Meekcom said he was left 'gobsmacked' at the 'heavy-handed' response and accused West Mercia Police of 'outrageous bullying'.

He also slammed the 'trumped-up' charges, claiming that officers were 'looking for any little thing to get me on'.

The lecturer added: 'It’s pathetic. What an absolute waste of public funding. This is an escalation of what they’ve done. You can’t keep changing it and altering it until you find something that fits.

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Darrell Meekcom, 55, who has multiple system atrophy (MSA) is standing trial at Redditch Magistrates' Court

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Officers pulled up outside Mr Meekcom's home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, and he was later wrestled to the ground by officers during the arrest in his back garden

'What are they going to come up with next. They are literally looking for any little thing to get me on.

'I pulled my trousers down and mooned at a speed camera. That’s all I did.'

Meekcom lives with his wife Sarah, 36, and their two daughters.

He is alleged to have dropped his trousers at a van in Stourbridge Road, Kidderminster, while his wife had gone to buy some bread from a nearby Tesco Express.

Meekcom was originally arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure and dangerous driving before being bailed.

Two further counts of using threatening behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress were dropped by prosecutors.

Mr Meekcom denies the public order offence.

The trial continues.
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Cheeky blighter!
 
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Mock the week axed by the BBC, despite still comparatively high viewing figures. This not long after The Mash Report. I'd be looking over your shoulder if I were you Have I Got News For You.

Guess our uncultured Culture Secretary is making progress with her evil schemes.
 
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Frome-Ranger said:
Mock the week axed by the BBC, despite still comparatively high viewing figures. This not long after The Mash Report. I'd be looking over your shoulder if I were you Have I Got News For You.

Guess our uncultured Culture Secretary is making progress with her evil schemes.
Click to expand...

I've enjoyed Mock The Week, but it's an old format and the BBC say they are stopping production after 17 years to make way for new programmes.

I can't see this decision has anything to do with Nadine Dorries. Do you have any evidence that it does?
 
Goldhawk-Road said:
I've enjoyed Mock The Week, but it's an old format and the BBC say they are stopping production after 17 years to make way for new programmes.

I can't see this decision has anything to do with Nadine Dorries. Do you have any evidence that it does?
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This government and its supporters such as yourself have conducted a sustained attack on the BBC for many years. They installed Tim Davie, a significant Tory donor and former Tory council candidate, as Director General in 2020 and the dropping of programmes such as the Mash Report and Mock the Week, which they view as being critical of the government, is the result. I find the BBC news and current affairs output to be so pro-Tory now that I avoid it.as much as I can.
 
Stroller said:
This government and its supporters such as yourself have conducted a sustained attack on the BBC for many years. They installed Tim Davie, a significant Tory donor and former Tory council candidate, as Director General in 2020 and the dropping of programmes such as the Mash Report and Mock the Week, which they view as being critical of the government, is the result. I find the BBC news and current affairs output to be so pro-Tory now that I avoid it.as much as I can.
Click to expand...

Could it be that impartiality is returning to the BBC and that's why you don't like it? All the leftie activists like Sopel, Maitlis and Marr have gone and now push their doctrine on the likes of LBC. Former Labour party activists like Lewis Goodall are staying with Newsnight "for now".

I always thought Mock the Week was pretty generous in taking the piss out of all politicians. HIGNFY though is incredibly left wing orientated. In recent years, virtually everyone that came on were Left..

A publicly funded broadcaster has to be impartial, there's no question. I don't want any political party given an easy ride or, on the other hand, targetted for doctrinal reasons. So for the BBC it's "get your house in order" or lose taxpayers money and compete with all the rest out there in a dog-eat-dog world.
 
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Goldhawk-Road said:
Could it be that impartiality is returning to the BBC and that's why you don't like it? All the leftie activists like Sopel, Maitlis and Marr have gone and now push their doctrine on the likes of LBC. Former Labour party activists like Lewis Goodall are staying with Newsnight "for now".

I always thought Mock the Week was pretty generous in taking the piss out of all politicians. HIGNFY though is incredibly left wing orientated. In recent years, virtually everyone that came on were Left..

A publicly funded broadcaster has to be impartial, there's no question. I don't want any political party given an easy ride or, on the other hand, targetted for doctrinal reasons. So for the BBC it's "get your house in order" or lose taxpayers money and compete with all the rest out there in a dog-eat-dog world.
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The BBC was impartial, it isn't any longer.
 
Phebe Bodelle

@BodellePhebe
·
Aug 2

The RNLI, BF and the RN have been meeting French boats in the middle of the channel and taking on board their cargo of illegal immigrants. If the British boats didn't meet them, what would happen, surely the French boats would have to take them back to France. Win, Win.
 
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