‘Total disgrace!’ Daughter of man fined for spitting out leaf DEMANDS money back as she blasts officers for ‘picking on elderly’
An 86-year-old grandfather from Skegness has been handed a £150 fine by council enforcement officers after he spat out a leaf that had blown into his mouth while walking near a boating lake.
Roy Marsh was approached by East Lindsey District Council officers in February following the incident in the Lincolnshire seaside town.
The penalty was initially set at £250 before being reduced.
His daughter Jane Fitzpatrick has spoken out about the fine, describing it as “heart-breaking” and a “total disgrace”.
She said: “He’s a sweet old guy, and he’s lived in Skegness all his life.”
Ms Fitzpatrick added: “He wouldn’t hurt a fly, and these b*****s are picking on the elderly, and it’s just heart-breaking.”
According to the distressed daughter, her father suffers from walking difficulties, a heart condition, severe asthma and COPD.
She explained that a small leaf blew into his mouth, causing him to panic and cough it out.
Recounting Mr Marsh’s initial interaction with police, she said: “My dad joked with them at first and said ‘was I going too fast on my wheels, was I speeding?’, and then the guy said ‘No, you spat’.”
Roy Marsh, an 86-year-old grandfather, was fined £150 for spitting out a leaf that had blown into his mouth while walking
| PA
“My dad said ‘No, I never spit, it was just I’ve got COPD and a heart problem, and I was choking on a leaf and I was panicking, and I coughed the leaf up’.”
“So, yes, it’s a bit rubbish,” she despaired.
Ms Fitzpatrick explained that because the officers told her elderly father they were enforcing the law, he complied and provided his details rather than refusing.
