Community compassion and justice for Richard Arnold

After reading the below news article, I decided to set up this go fund me for poor Richard. He has been ordered to pay £499 in costs/fines and he has to carry out 120 hours of UNPAID community service! Thats 3 whole weeks of unpaid work. In this day and age, how many of us can afford to do that!? All for parking his lorry safely on the side of a road to take an important and emotional phone call about his newborn grandson being hospitalised. To which a ‘civilian police officer’ in a speed camera van took offence to, because it blocked his line of sight - Boohoo.

Lets raise some money for him to cover his fines/costs and to make those long 3 weeks of unpaid work, a little bit more bearable.

UPDATE: I’ve made contact with Richard through Facebook and set him up as the sole beneficiary of the donations. He is immensely grateful for all the donations received so far.

‘’A Bournemouth lorry driver has been ordered to pay £150 compensation and complete 120 hours of unpaid work after parking behind a police speed camera van and launching a verbal attack on the operator.

Richard Arnold, 61, blocked the mobile speed camera on the A348 at Ferndown, Dorset, last October before subjecting civilian police officer Richard Mackenzie to what prosecutors called a "tirade of abuse" when asked to move his vehicle.

The court heard that Arnold ignored initial requests to move as he was taking what he described as an important phone call about his newborn grandson who had been hospitalised. When approached again, Arnold was captured on camera using offensive language, calling Mr Mackenzie a "jobsworth" and threatening to remain parked there for an hour to prevent speed monitoring.

Arnold's abuse escalated to wishing harm upon the officer's family before driving away before police arrived. Poole magistrates described his behaviour as "diabolical and appalling" as they convicted him of obstructing an accredited person and using threatening or abusive words.

In addition to the compensation and unpaid work, Arnold must also cover costs totalling £349. Representing himself in court, he apologised for his "foolish mistake" and claimed his actions were out of character due to family stress.’’