Cumbrian farmer is fined over f-word ‘no entry’ sign

A Wigton farmer who put up a sign outside his property telling intruders to “f*** off” has been landed with a £200 fine. Keith Coulthard, 49, erected the notice because he was fed up with people going into the compound at Wigton, Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

I thought I would post this local news to highlight the stupidity of the British legal system, this farmer has obviously had enough of drunken teens trespassing on his property, and he chose to erect the sign, not in main public view as the farm is out of the way, to get the message across.

Granted, he was asked to take it down, he agreed, then failed to do so:

And Coulthard, of Caldew Close, Wigton, agreed to put some tape over the offending words, the court was told. But a few days later, on October 15, the officer again found the same sign still showing the swear word.

But is the taxpayers money the police and judicial system spend on these cases worth it when there is so much more major crime going on than a simple word on a simple sign?

Is his freedom of speech being violated here?

What bugs me the most is the charge he received:

Coulthard was charged with using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

How is F*** off threatening? How could it cause harassment, alarm or distress to anybody?

Lastly:

The farmer was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of £15.

£200 for using a word which these kids he was trying to deter probably use every sentence, £85 for a Judge to decide he has to pay £200 and a £15 victim surcharge??? Victim surcharge??? Who on earth was the victim?

This is one of many examples of this type of punishment being handed out to otherwise normal, hard working people in this country, and it stinks. The law and judicial system are due a serious overhaul in my opinion, but sadly, as long as the fines keep pouring into the governments pockets it won't happen.

Source

I would laugh if this was a one off but sadly this type of thing is becoming ever more commonplace these days.



Sorry, rather vague there - to clarify, this type of prosecution is a total joke. Apart from anything else, whatever happened to freedom of speech and freedom of expression?

he would have had more luck with

reply to post by Flavian


That's my point, and why I posted, It has gone beyond a joke. I know people who have been locked up in there own homes for telling the police to f*** off.

Now I know there is no need for abusive language, but it is just a word, and to not be able to use it in your own home without being locked up and charged is ridiculous.

Freedom of speech only seems to apply if the law agrees with it.

should of threatened them with naked pictures of gordon brown or justin beiber as that would of scared them off and telling someone to eff off would probably make them more determined

He should try a new sign that says "bugger aff". It'll take the police ages to work out what it says and he can pretend it's the name of his house or something.

Seriously though it's getting frightening that so many people can extort moneys off you for so many things these days, you never know what's coming.

Postie trips on your doorstep and stubs a toe, you owe him a million squid for serious nerve damage, stress disorder (he's still having nightmares), and hurt feelings.

Drop a cigarette end outside your house and some community spy rushes over and fines you £500 or it's jail.

£465 for a dropped cigarette end

Last year when his nibs was made redundant he just got home from his last day at work and stopped at the shop first. He goes there every day. There's a zebra crossing and zig-zag lines. He parked the car 4 inches over the end of a zig-zag and the unmarked police car behind him caught it all on tape. They fined him £60 and took 3 points off his licence. But they did apologise while they were doing it...

It's nothing to do with freedom of speech, it's about money and keeping us in our places.

reply to post by wigit


"Bugger aff ya wee radgees!" Yeah, that might work, but then he will probably have the planning permission department of the local council sending him a fine through the post for not submitting the right application to modify the scenery (or something).

It's bad enough we have to pay council tax.

reply to post by wigit


In regards to your link on the woman who was fined for dropping a fag butt......there is that fine again "victim surcharge"

She was fined £350, ordered to pay £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge

What is a victim surcharge, and how can it be applied when there is no bloody victim?!?!!?

EDIT: Here is the answer:

All fines for criminal offences will carry an additional "victims surcharge" of £15, the Home Office has announced. The levy will be added on top of every fine handed out in court for a criminal offence from 1 April. It will be paid into a fund aimed at helping improve services for victims of crime, and will be fixed at a flat rate regardless of the size of the fine.

Seriously?? That just makes my blood boil

reply to post by woogleuk


Lol, I agree but I think it's the fine that's the worst bit. Where do they get their numbers from? I'd have denied it was my cigarette, or I'd have picked it up and said it fell out of my hands. And I'm actually very anti-litter myself, but this is a joke.

I was watching a Korean movie the other night - in one scene the guy takes his movies back to the rental shop and the manager moans - "ah, you always bring them back on time. I run this business on the fines I get from people who are late, you know!"

It's all made up and we're stuck with it. Basterds!