Bum deal for bucket-lister who mooned at speed camera
A TERMINALLY ILL retired lecturer was tackled to the ground by six police officers after mooning a speed camera as part of his “bucket list”.
Darrell Meekcom, 55, was told last month that he had a rare neurodegenerative condition and had “a very short time to live”, prompting him to write a list of all the activities he wanted to tick off while he could.
Among them was the unusual dream of flashing a speed camera after being irritated by years of being caught for “silly speeds” only marginally over the limit, adding: “It always bugged me.”
Last Friday, Mr Meekcom, who used to lecture medical students at Birmingham City University, targeted a mobile speed camera van near his home in Kidderminster, Worcs, describing it as “a good laugh”.
But the wish did not go down well with officers in West Mercia Police, who arrested the father-of-two for indecent exposure after an officer sitting in the van caught Mr Meekcom in the act.
Just 20 minutes after the incident, three police cars attended the home of Mr Meekcom, who also has Parkinson’s disease, and heart and kidney problems, demanding to be let in.
When he refused, officers kicked down the garden gate before wrestling him to the ground to put him in handcuffs, he claimed. Mobile phone footage filmed by his wife Sarah, 36, a nurse, shows Mr Meekcom calmly telling officers: “I’m terminally ill, I won’t be able to breathe like this. This is ridiculous – I moonied a speed camera. I moonied a speed camera.”
One female officer can be heard replying: “Well that is a significant statement that you have just made to us,” to which Mr Meekcom replied: “I’m quite happy to say that because it was one off my bucket list.”
Mr Meekcom, a wheelchair user, criticised the police response, saying it was “completely disproportionate”.
“Despite coming out to the police to give myself up they destroyed my front door and smashed the back gate to pieces,” he said.
Mr Meekcom, who has two daughters aged 10 and eight, was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy last month, for which the life expectancy is around six years. The other activities on his bucket list include a bungee jump, skydive and streaking at a rugby game.
A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: “Around 1pm on Friday Nov 5, officers received a report of indecent exposure on Stourbridge Road.
“Officers attended and after a search of the area, located a person of interest.
“A 55-year-old man from Kidderminster was arrested on suspicion of public order offences and dangerous driving and released on bail. Inquiries are ongoing.”