Driver ‘felt compelled’ to stick two fingers up at police
A MOTORIST ‘felt compelled’ to lean out of the window and stick two fingers up at police, a court heard.
Jakub Pecha, 25, was arrested after the bizarre incident while he was driving a Nissan Qashqai on Agecroft Road in Salford.
He was pulled over by the officers and later charged with driving without due care and attention.
Now Pecha, from Wythenshawe, has pleaded guilty to the offence. During his sentencing, the court heard that the defendant had had a ‘breakdown’ and was compelled to make the gesture to police ‘for reasons known only to himself.’
Prosecutor Laura Keegan told Manchester magistrates court that the incident took place on September 23, last year.
She said that as police officers drove past, Pecha was ‘hanging out of the driver’s window’ and ‘giving the V sign’ while he was behind the wheel.
Nnamdi Inegbu, defending, said Pecha, who has previous convictions for drug driving and driving without insurance, is ‘very remorseful’ and was ‘very upfront’ about the offence.
Mr Inegbu said at the time of the incident a member of Pecha’s family had recently been diagnosed with cancer, which had hit him ‘quite badly.’
He said Pecha had a ‘breakdown’ and ‘things got too much for him.’
“Due to reasons only known to himself he felt compelled to inappropriately put up his two fingers towards them,” Mr Inegbu said.
Pecha apologised to officers at the scene, the court heard, and has since referred himself to his doctor.
Magistrates fined Pecha £85, and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.
The chairman of the bench told Pecha: “You need to be careful. Police have a difficult enough job.
“It’s no comfort at all to your mother if you are doing things that can only be described as plain stupidity.
“You need to show a little bit of respect for people who carry out a public duty.”
Pecha, of Baycroft Grove, Wythenshawe, pleaded guilty to one count of driving without due care and attention.