Driver fails in bizarre Magna Carta defence

AFife man has been convicted of driving offences and struggling violently with police at Kirkcaldy’s Justice of the Peace Court – despite putting up his own bizarre defence case.

Steve Higginson, 56, of Thornhill Drive, Kirkcaldy, denied driving without insurance and a valid MoT certificate on January 15 as he claimed he did not need them, while he accused the police of being “thugs” at the JP court on March 14, 2016.

Higginson, who represented himself, also handed Sheriff Alastair Brown a bulky document referring to the Magna Carta, and Australian and Canadian law.

However, Sheriff Brown dismissed that submission and found Higginson guilty on various charges, telling him: “Whoever drafted this does not have the slightest understanding of this or any other system of law.”

Higginson’s personal appearance came just a couple of weeks after a comical courtroom exchange via video link in which he repeatedly said: “I am a living man, the blood flows, the flesh moves – I wish for remedy.”

Flanked by three members of security staff, he repeated that mantra yesterday and accused police of acting as a “terrorist organisation”.

Higginson was found guilty of repeatedly struggling violently and lashing out at Kirkcaldy’s JP court, and behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at the town’s police station across the road.

Giving evidence, PCs Sean Ward and Ian Henderson told how they had struggled to gain control of him after he refused to enter the dock.

PC Ward said his colleague had tried to handcuff Higginson’s right hand but sent the handcuffs “flying” as he flailed around, while he tried to cuff his left hand and use a technique called ‘drag to prone’ to control him.

“We were basically pushed about as if we didn’t weigh too much at all,” he said. “He’s probably one of the strongest guys I’ve ever had to arrest.”

Three others joined in before he was led to a cell at the station. PC Ward added that they returned to charge Higginson later that day and used the cell hatch for their own safety. Both PC Ward and Henderson spoke of Higginson becoming agitated and throwing a cup of liquid at the hatch.

Higginson was also found guilty of driving without insurance and a valid MoT certificate on Kinghorn Road, Burntisland, on January 15, failing to provide details to PCs Gavin Jack and Daniel Crighton, and assaulting PC Brian Geddes by throwing clothing at him.

The court heard that PC Jack and Crighton had stopped Higginson’s blue Ford Fiesta during a routine early hours stop.

PC Geddes, along with PC William Alexander, took him to Kirkcaldy Police Station, where he again proved un-cooperative.

After he was asked to wear a safety suit in his cell, PC Geddes explained that Higginson took off his socks and underwear and threw them at his head.

Sheriff Brown found him guilty of various charges and deferred sentence until a later date pending reports and an application for bail.

The sheriff acquitted Higginson of obstructing PC Geddes and Alexander in the execution of their duty by refusing to confirm his identity, address and nationality, and refusing to provide fingerprints when requested to do so.

Charges alleging culpable and reckless conduct by spitting in a police van, and urinating and defecating in a police cell were also dropped by the Crown during the trial, and Sheriff Brown found Higginson not guilty on those.