Jailed over 2-week late TV licence fee

PJ · 9th November 2009, 16:30

Quote:

A local woman has spoken of her distress after cops arrived at her home and arrested her – over a TV licence.
The PSNI arrived at the woman’s Twinbrook home on Monday night and arrested her for not having paid a fine incurred for late payment of a TV licence.
The woman, who does not want to be named, told the Andersonstown News what happened.
“The police arrived at the door and said they had a warrant for my arrest. They asked who was in the house and when I told them it was just me and my two-year-old grandson, they said I’d better get someone to mind him because they were taking me to Lisburn police station.
“When I left the room to make a phone call, the officer shouted that I should come back to where he could see me, as if I was going to run away and leave my grandson there. He then told me I would be staying at Lisburn that night and was likely to be in Hydebank until Sunday. I was distraught.”
The woman said she received notice of the fine in late August but assumed it would be quashed because she had already paid the fee in full, albeit two weeks late.
“I had been on the phone with TV Licensing prior to getting the notice, they told me it was up-to-date so when I got the letter. I never thought anything more of it until the police came to my door.”
When a friend arrived at the police station on Monday night to pay the £325.85 fine, the police became difficult, the woman says.
“My friend arrived with £325, the police said I couldn’t go until the fine was paid in full. My friend had to go and hunt through his van for the 85p before they let me go. It was ridiculous.”
Sinn Féin MLA Jennifer McCann expressed her concern over the arrest and said people should not be criminalised because they are poor.
“I am deeply concerned that people are, due to financial difficulties, finding themselves in court and facing fines they cannot pay for issues such as TV licences. We are constantly seeing habitual criminals who break into people’s homes, sell drugs and commit untold crimes against our community going through the courts and ending up back out on the streets.
“Yet here we have a mother who, due to her financial situation, was unable to pay for a TV licence, was fined and was arrested and told that she was going to prison if her fine wasn't paid. This woman’s family had to find the money to ensure she didn't go to prison. I intend to take this issue up with the TV Licensing authorities and with those in the criminal justice system. There are wider implications than this one particular case. Very often we see women who for very minor offences are given fines they simply cannot pay end up going to prison.
“Many of the women are from low income single parent households and their children have to be cared for by relatives. It costs more to issue and administrate the fines and send them to prison and I believe the criminal justice system needs to take on board the recommendations by the Human Rights Commission that prison in these circumstances must be a last resort. The distinction needs to be made by the TV Licensing authorities between those who cannot afford to purchase a TV licence and those who habitually avoid doing so. The courts also need to make that distinction and stop criminalising people simply because they are poor.”
A spokeswoman for the PSNI confirmed the arrest.
“Police in Lisburn arrested a 41-year-old woman in Twinbrook by virtue of a money warrant on Monday, 2 November,” she said. “The fine was subsequently paid and the female released.”
A spokesperson for TV Licensing said: “Fines imposed for TV licence evasion are a matter for the courts.
“We cannot comment on this specific case, but our staff would never advise someone who had been issued with such a fine that they would not need to pay.” Belfast Media | News | Jailed over 2-week late TV licence fee

I really can't imagine why the police have so little support in these parts...

ThatOldRedMagic · 9th November 2009, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJ

I really can't imagine why the police have so little support in these parts...

Charls Moore has been running a very public campaign through the pages of The Spectator (he is a former editor, for those unfamiliar with the magazine) in which he refuses to pay his TV license until Jonathan Ross's services are disposed of by the BBC.

The gist of it is that he has found that there is little the BBC can do to enforce the payment.

Why so different in another part of the UK?

Dr. Dwayne · 9th November 2009, 21:55

I love Canada.

ThatOldRedMagic · 9th November 2009, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Dwayne

I love Canada.

As well you might...

Furious George · 9th November 2009, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatOldRedMagic

The gist of it is that he has found that there is little the BBC can do to enforce the payment.

Why so different in another part of the UK?

It's a bit of sensationalist journalism.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Article

A local woman has spoken of her distress after cops arrived at her home and arrested her – over a TV licence.

This just isn't true. The plod in this case are not acting as BBC goons. She's been fined by a court and they're just enforcing that. It'd be no different for any other kind of fine handed down by the court.

Pay your council tax and pay your court fines, everyone else can wait.

You've got to question anyone who gets busted without a tv licence. If the BBC licence blokes come a knocking on your door, just tell them to fuck off and shut the door in their faces. They have no special powers. If they ask you if you've got a telly, you say no, and that's the end of it.

Oh, and those detection vans are an Orwellian scare story too.

Mihajlovic · 4th December 2011, 11:49

Am I understanding this correctly you only have to pay the licence if you're watching a BBC live broadcast, not if you're using the BBC iplayer on your PS3, right?

Agent Red · 4th December 2011, 11:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mihajlovic

Am I understanding this correctly you only have to pay the licence if you're watching a BBC live broadcast, not if you're using the BBC iplayer on your PS3, right?

I think the live broadcast bit is correct, but it's any live broadcast, not just BBC programs.

Mihajlovic · 4th December 2011, 11:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agent Red

I think the live broadcast bit is correct, but it's any live broadcast, not just BBC programs.

You sure about that? I thought all the other channels are sponsored through advertisement and therefore don't require licence fee payments?

Frosty · 4th December 2011, 11:59

Yep. Any live TV broadcast I think.

Frosty · 4th December 2011, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mihajlovic

You sure about that? I thought all the other channels are sponsored through advertisement and therefore don't require licence fee payments?

AFAIK the rules were changed.

Agent Red · 4th December 2011, 12:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mihajlovic

You sure about that? I thought all the other channels are sponsored through advertisement and therefore don't require licence fee payments?

Not 100% but pretty certain

Edit: You're right in saying that the others are paid for through advertisement, but I think it's still the case that if you're watching any live broadcast you must pay the fee, regardless of what channel it is.

MikeUpNorth · 4th December 2011, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mihajlovic

Am I understanding this correctly you only have to pay the licence if you're watching a BBC live broadcast, not if you're using the BBC iplayer on your PS3, right?

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: iPlayer Doesn't Require A TV Licence... Yet

Smores · 4th December 2011, 14:10

I remember at Uni we got letters through all the time saying they were going to come and check, they never did. It's absolute bollocks, they can't just enter your property without substantial proof just to check that you haven't committed a crime.

Saying that, we paid for the license every year after first year as we had Virgin media and we weren't sure if they could share information. We also had a dodgy virgin box for 3 years before they managed to stop being using them

rcoobc · 4th December 2011, 15:41

All live TV "needs" a licence fee. Yet there are 34,700 (BBC News - For those of you watching in black and white) people who have a black and white TV License. Absolute garbage, no one still has black and white TV's, at least not 35 thousand people.

You would never get caught watching (live) Iplayer, itv player etc on your laptop, and your almost as unlikely to get caught watching live tv.

Mihajlovic · 4th December 2011, 16:50

That's what I thought. Apart from never letting any of these guys enter my house for "checks", I dont see how they could ever prove that Im watching live TV.

mu77 · 4th December 2011, 17:17

i don't think this woman should be arrested but if I understand correctly she is poor and has some type of TV deal or contract for over 300 quid? or is that the fine. because if she's that poor she shouldn't be using her money on TV. I'm not from there so what's the deal?

TheReligion · 4th December 2011, 17:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJ

I really can't imagine why the police have so little support in these parts...

Why? What does it have to do with the cops?

They are simply enforcing a court warrant.

Giggzinho · 5th December 2011, 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheReligion

Why? What does it have to do with the cops?

They are simply enforcing a court warrant.

85p or send a woman to jail for 2 weeks, hmmmmm

TheReligion · 5th December 2011, 20:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggzinho

85p or send a woman to jail for 2 weeks, hmmmmm

I fail to see your point

Giggzinho · 6th December 2011, 02:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheReligion

I fail to see your point

so if you were a cop and in the same situation you would arrest the person over a difference of 85p? come on, get real

lynchie · 6th December 2011, 10:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggzinho

so if you were a cop and in the same situation you would arrest the person over a difference of 85p? come on, get real

She was surely arrested over the £325.85. For her mate to say "ah go on, I've paid most of it" once she was in custody is a bit of a piss take.

TheReligion · 6th December 2011, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggzinho

so if you were a cop and in the same situation you would arrest the person over a difference of 85p? come on, get real

Yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynchie

She was surely arrested over the £325.85. For her mate to say "ah go on, I've paid most of it" once she was in custody is a bit of a piss take.

This.

BaldwinLegend · 8th December 2011, 20:40

Is this for real? She lives in Twinbrook, Andersonstown? Let me guess, it's in Nani County?

niMic · 8th December 2011, 20:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggzinho

so if you were a cop and in the same situation you would arrest the person over a difference of 85p? come on, get real

She was already arrested. The 85p was the difference between what the friend came in with to pay the fine and what the fine was. It's not like the police can just say "bah, go on then!" if the fine isn't actually paid.

Giggzinho · 9th December 2011, 02:00

still, 85p...

sglowrider · 9th December 2011, 02:52

I bet they wont throw women into jail for not paying their TV license fees in Saudi Arabia.

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9th November 2009, 21:55	#3 (permalink)
Dr. Dwayne no gynaecologist (willing to have a look) Join Date: May 2006 Location: Back where I don't belong Posts: 45,788	I love Canada.

4th December 2011, 11:49	#6 (permalink)
Mihajlovic Its Baltic! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: RS Posts: 10,584	Am I understanding this correctly you only have to pay the licence if you're watching a BBC live broadcast, not if you're using the BBC iplayer on your PS3, right?

4th December 2011, 11:59	#9 (permalink)
Frosty Logical and sensible but turns women gay Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 11,628	Yep. Any live TV broadcast I think.

4th December 2011, 14:10	#13 (permalink)
Smores First Team Sub Join Date: May 2011 Location: Dark side of the moon Posts: 5,213	I remember at Uni we got letters through all the time saying they were going to come and check, they never did. It's absolute bollocks, they can't just enter your property without substantial proof just to check that you haven't committed a crime. Saying that, we paid for the license every year after first year as we had Virgin media and we weren't sure if they could share information. We also had a dodgy virgin box for 3 years before they managed to stop being using them

4th December 2011, 15:41	#14 (permalink)
rcoobc Not as crap as eferyone thinks Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: ethereal foundation of greatness come to pass Posts: 13,461	All live TV "needs" a licence fee. Yet there are 34,700 (BBC News - For those of you watching in black and white) people who have a black and white TV License. Absolute garbage, no one still has black and white TV's, at least not 35 thousand people. You would never get caught watching (live) Iplayer, itv player etc on your laptop, and your almost as unlikely to get caught watching live tv.

4th December 2011, 16:50	#15 (permalink)
Mihajlovic Its Baltic! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: RS Posts: 10,584	That's what I thought. Apart from never letting any of these guys enter my house for "checks", I dont see how they could ever prove that Im watching live TV.

4th December 2011, 17:17	#16 (permalink)
mu77 Reserve Team Player Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 4,644	i don't think this woman should be arrested but if I understand correctly she is poor and has some type of TV deal or contract for over 300 quid? or is that the fine. because if she's that poor she shouldn't be using her money on TV. I'm not from there so what's the deal?

8th December 2011, 20:40	#23 (permalink)
BaldwinLegend First Team Sub Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Excuse me, I'm relaxed Posts: 6,295	Is this for real? She lives in Twinbrook, Andersonstown? Let me guess, it's in Nani County?

9th December 2011, 02:00	#25 (permalink)
Giggzinho Fletcher's bitch Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,552	still, 85p...

9th December 2011, 02:52	#26 (permalink)
sglowrider Copy & Paste Expert Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hell on Earth Posts: 4,396	I bet they wont throw women into jail for not paying their TV license fees in Saudi Arabia.