THE owner of a car clamping firm, which wreaked havoc and misery in Melksham in 2006 with its bully boy' tactics, has been told she faces a jail term.
Rebecca Meakin, 27, from Heath Hayes in Staffordshire, was convicted of conspiracy to blackmail motorists by charging up to £300 to get their vehicles back.
She was remanded on bail for reports to be prepared on her at Stafford Crown Court on Monday.
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Her car clamping operation, Rowencroft Immobilisers, extorted thousands of pounds from drivers across the UK.
In Melksham, the clampers targeted the Melksham Electrical Company car park in Market Place, working until midnight, well after the shops had closed.
Brenda Cottrell's daughter Andrea was caught when she was collecting a takeaway and was told she would have to pay £95 or have her car towed away.
After hearing the news of the conviction this week, Mrs Cottrell, of Sandridge Road, said: "It's definitely the same company - my ticket has R Meakin on it and the company was from Staffordshire.
"I hope she goes to jail for it. They were very aggressive. It just makes you feel a bit better."
Steve Savage, of Melksham Electrical Company, told the Wiltshire Times in 2006 they had been approached by Rowencroft Immobilisers who offered to help sort out problems with their 12-space car park, but they were over-zealous and picking on people.
He said: "It turned into our worst nightmare."
Judge Simon Tonking said in court that those who commit offences of blackmail or conspiracy to blackmail are likely to receive a custodial sentence.
He stressed that a custodial sentence was on the cards' for Meakin.
Other victims of Rowencroft Immobilisers were said to include a doctor taking blood samples for analysis and a grandmother whose 30-month-old grandson was still in the car as it was being towed.
A jury ruled that Meakin's clamping and towing away of cars on private car parks in Staffordshire and Worcester was a scam' and a conspiracy to blackmail.
The court heard how motorists were targeted without warning and blackmailed into handing over sums of up to £300 to get them back.
Posted by: The Voice of Reason, Westbury on 4:53pm Fri 2 May 08
Message to WT sub-editor: should not that be 'bully girl' and not 'bully boy'? Let's hope this will be an example to some of the other clampers to operate only within the law.
Message to WT sub-editor: should not that be 'bully girl' and not 'bully boy'? Let's hope this will be an example to some of the other clampers to operate only within the law.
Posted by: westburygirl, westbury on 5:35pm Fri 2 May 08
£300 quid wow what a lot of money.... wheel clamppers are over jelous i think and will pounce at the slightest thing and should be stopped. if the shops want the parking stopped then they should do it themselves not let thses "business's" take control of it
£300 quid wow what a lot of money.... wheel clamppers are over jelous i think and will pounce at the slightest thing and should be stopped. if the shops want the parking stopped then they should do it themselves not let thses "business's" take control of it
Posted by: GSXRRRSP, WESTBURY on 7:45pm Fri 2 May 08
scum of the earth they are filth the lot of them and the hitler traffic wardens are worse they should all get a real job i hate the lot of them they are the lowest form on the food chain but think that they are god with their uniforms....
scum of the earth they are filth the lot of them and the hitler traffic wardens are worse they should all get a real job i hate the lot of them they are the lowest form on the food chain but think that they are god with their uniforms....
Posted by: Heckler, Tin-pot County Town on 12:27pm Sat 3 May 08
I agree with the above comments about clampers and I agree that some traffic wardens can be infuriating.
But if we do away with them how can we deal with people who park on pavements forcing pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with prams and children out in to the road? And what about ensuring people who park dangerously and those who illegally use disabled parking spaces are dealt with?
Someone has to do it, but who?
I agree with the above comments about clampers and I agree that some traffic wardens can be infuriating.
But if we do away with them how can we deal with people who park on pavements forcing pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with prams and children out in to the road? And what about ensuring people who park dangerously and those who illegally use disabled parking spaces are dealt with?
Someone has to do it, but who?
Posted by: Disgusted of, Westbury on 9:34am Sun 4 May 08
[quote][bold]GSXRRRSP[/bold] wrote:
scum of the earth they are filth the lot of them and the hitler traffic wardens are worse they should all get a real job i hate the lot of them they are the lowest form on the food chain but think that they are god with their uniforms....[/quote]
Traffic wardens have to work to the letter of the law. car clampers make it up as they go along - whatever earns a quick buck - .
GSXRRRSP wrote:
scum of the earth they are filth the lot of them and the hitler traffic wardens are worse they should all get a real job i hate the lot of them they are the lowest form on the food chain but think that they are god with their uniforms....
Traffic wardens have to work to the letter of the law. car clampers make it up as they go along - whatever earns a quick buck - .
Posted by: Necker, Trowbridge on 8:32am Mon 5 May 08
I think that more Melksham drivers should be clamped.
Half the cars in Melksham have no tax or have bald tyres.
The Melksham driving population average age must be 89.
The roads in this area would be a great deal safer. ;)
I think that more Melksham drivers should be clamped.
Half the cars in Melksham have no tax or have bald tyres.
The Melksham driving population average age must be 89.
The roads in this area would be a great deal safer. ;)
Posted by: Mrsfatley, Melksham on 1:37pm Wed 7 May 08
[quote][bold]Heckler[/bold] wrote:
I agree with the above comments about clampers and I agree that some traffic wardens can be infuriating. But if we do away with them how can we deal with people who park on pavements forcing pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with prams and children out in to the road? And what about ensuring people who park dangerously and those who illegally use disabled parking spaces are dealt with? Someone has to do it, but who? [/quote] I think the point here is that the people who were clamped were not parked on pavements but in the Kwik Save carpark, out of the way, well after the shops were closed, I know of several people who were clamped while collecting a takeaway. We do need to do something about the people who park on double yellow lines during rush hour who think those rules don't apply to them. Perhaps we should petition for a traffic warden.
Heckler wrote:
I agree with the above comments about clampers and I agree that some traffic wardens can be infuriating. But if we do away with them how can we deal with people who park on pavements forcing pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with prams and children out in to the road? And what about ensuring people who park dangerously and those who illegally use disabled parking spaces are dealt with? Someone has to do it, but who?
I think the point here is that the people who were clamped were not parked on pavements but in the Kwik Save carpark, out of the way, well after the shops were closed, I know of several people who were clamped while collecting a takeaway. We do need to do something about the people who park on double yellow lines during rush hour who think those rules don't apply to them. Perhaps we should petition for a traffic warden.
Posted by: Necker, Trowbridge on 2:11pm Wed 7 May 08
The problem with traffic wardens is once you get them, you dont want them.
Then they breed like Trowbrigians and before you know it, you'll want the kinder option of 'bully girl' back again.
Catch 22
The problem with traffic wardens is once you get them, you dont want them.
Then they breed like Trowbrigians and before you know it, you'll want the kinder option of 'bully girl' back again.
Posted by: Alex Zivojinovich, Wiltshire on 9:00pm Wed 7 May 08
[quote][bold]Necker[/bold] wrote:
I think that more Melksham drivers should be clamped. Half the cars in Melksham have no tax or have bald tyres. The Melksham driving population average age must be 89. The roads in this area would be a great deal safer. ;) [/quote] Necker..I agree with Yali. You sound like a right drop kick. don't concern yourself with Melksham issues. Deal with the issues closer to home for you ie Trailer Park in Semington. Have you finished your fence off yet? lol BTW The average driving age in Melksham is 87. You were way out. Any Melksham driver would be right at home in one of your Range Rovers tho.
Necker wrote:
I think that more Melksham drivers should be clamped. Half the cars in Melksham have no tax or have bald tyres. The Melksham driving population average age must be 89. The roads in this area would be a great deal safer. ;)
Necker..I agree with Yali. You sound like a right drop kick. don't concern yourself with Melksham issues. Deal with the issues closer to home for you ie Trailer Park in Semington. Have you finished your fence off yet? lol BTW The average driving age in Melksham is 87. You were way out. Any Melksham driver would be right at home in one of your Range Rovers tho.
Posted by: Public Spirit, Wiltshire on 6:21am Thu 8 May 08
Moderation is of course the answer here. Where a vehicle is genuinely obstructing a road or pavement then it should receive a ticket. However, road and sidewalk design is ofen so poor that it invites problems. Poorly patronised sidewalks are often widened whilst busy roads are narrowed for no apparent benefit to anyone.
The vast majority of people travel by car. This should be accommodated. Unfortunately,
a vocal minority of unrealistic goody goody wet whimps just want to make life more awkward for the rest of us to park and drive in towns. The same people then wonder why town centres like Melksham get run down and businesses suffer.
Cars = people = TRADE!!
Moderation is of course the answer here. Where a vehicle is genuinely obstructing a road or pavement then it should receive a ticket. However, road and sidewalk design is ofen so poor that it invites problems. Poorly patronised sidewalks are often widened whilst busy roads are narrowed for no apparent benefit to anyone.
The vast majority of people travel by car. This should be accommodated. Unfortunately,
a vocal minority of unrealistic goody goody wet whimps just want to make life more awkward for the rest of us to park and drive in towns. The same people then wonder why town centres like Melksham get run down and businesses suffer.
Posted by: Public Spirit, Wiltshire on 6:29am Thu 8 May 08
Wheel clamping is self-defeating as it temporarily fixes the obstruction and then creates further obstruction when the tow truck arrives.
Parking Wardens with discretion and sense make sense. Jobsworths just pander to the wet whimps.
Time the for the silent majority to get vocal!
Wheel clamping is self-defeating as it temporarily fixes the obstruction and then creates further obstruction when the tow truck arrives.
Parking Wardens with discretion and sense make sense. Jobsworths just pander to the wet whimps.
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