When the Britain’s police aren’t busy shelling out money to deck out their squad cars in gay pride colors, tackling right-wing extremism, and hunting down those who mock them online, they’re going after 80-year-old women for using homophobic language.
Peter Allen, the Sussex Hate Crime Sgt. & Trans Equality Advocate, shared a link from a gay news source on his Twitter page spreading the news about an 80-year-old woman who was allegedly fined for spreading “#homphobic abuse”:
Eighty year old woman who yelled #homophobic abuse at a man in #Lewes has been fined £249 https://t.co/UA6P5WVllr
— Peter Allan (@SgtPeterAllan) August 9, 2017
According to the Gscene article, an 80-year-old woman named Patricia Pavey was issued a parking ticket as she hadn’t moved her car within the allotted three hours. While arguing with the officer, the “victim,” who reported the woman for her “poor parking,” was allegedly called a homophobic slur.
Gscene states that while the 80-year-old woman faced only a £166 ($215.47) fine for the parking ticket, she's now been ordered to pay £250 ($324.53) and a “victim surcharge” of £30 ($38.94) for using the slur.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the fine and the reported crime on its website.
The Crown Prosecution Services site claims that following a trial, Pavey was convicted of “using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.”
Gareth Morgan, from the Crown Persecution Services, called the incident a hate crime:
We all know that issues such as parking can be emotive subjects, but there is no place in our society for homophobic language to be used, whatever the situation is. It is completely unacceptable and that is why any form of hate crime is taken so seriously by the CPS, be it homophobic, transphobic, racist, religious or disability.
The courts also take these matters seriously and that's why the fine was increased in this case, with a sentencing uplift, so anyone committing any hate crime, be it verbal or physical abuse can expect to receive an increased sentence.
In addition to facing a fine, Pavey was given a restraining order and is prohibited from parking in front of the shop where she made the slur for two years.
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