Man tried to sue police £210million on ‘terrorism charges’ using medieval laws in speeding battle
A man who unsuccessfully tried to invoke “medieval rights and customs” after being prosecuted for a speeding offense has said he will appeal the “bogus” charges.
Earlier this month, 28-year-old George Thomas was fined more than £1,000 for failing to provide information about the driver’s identity when required in connection with a speeding ticket after his vehicle was caught traveling at 58 mph in an 80 mph limit.
Police say when asked to confirm the identity of the driver in the car, he decided to send numerous documents citing “medieval laws and customs” and demanding millions of pounds, in an attempt to evade his legal obligation .
After attempting to challenge the prosecution but failing to succeed, Mr Thomas – who says he learned his defense from a Facebook group – was ordered to pay the full fine – while instead receiving a speed awareness course.
But speaking from his home in Stratford Upon Avon, the recovering landscape gardener denied trying to use medieval law, saying all his claims were made using “up-to-date law.”
George Thomas, 28, tried to use ‘medieval laws and customs’ to fine police £210 million
The lien sent by George Edward Thomas to Warwickshire Police
He said: ‘I got a bunch of paperwork from Warwickshire Police around January saying I was speeding and I started the Lien process with them which gave them a chance to withdraw.
“It was basically asking them to prove their claims and I said they were also breaking the Companies Act for not properly signing their documents.
“So I started doing that, and they said what I said wasn’t right and they had every right to do this. But they have not provided any evidence to support their claims.
“They had weeks to reply and never replied. I also gave them the chance to pay me a bunch of money, which they clearly never will.
“They then sent me a notice of approval telling me that they charged me with these crimes.”
Police say the 161-page legal document used ‘medieval laws and customs’
In the lien, Mr Thomas accused police of pursuing ‘an act of terrorism’ against him
As part of his defence, Mr Thomas sent police prosecutors a 161-page dossier in which he attempted to win damages for police on felony and terrorism charges by raising the alarm.
In all, Mr Thomas calculated he owed £210 million for his troubles.
Mr Thomas explained his process and told MailOnline that the police prosecution amounted to harassment.
He continued, “I’ve done this with the cooperation of people online and I’ve already done this with two parking violations and they were revoked.
“A lot of people are doing this right now. They just came after me for causing a bit of a fuss and they don’t like it.
“I’m a member of a Facebook group called ‘security through liens’ and that’s where it comes from. It took me six weeks to prepare my document.
“Following this, I am now going to start proceedings in the Magistrates Court.
“They actually bother me. I should know more about it than I do to be honest.
“It’s under the radar and the police and courts will say these people have no jurisdiction.
“But I didn’t use medieval laws. This is all current and current legislation.
“I read the police press release and laughed.
“Maybe they’re talking about the Magna Carta or something. And there are references to that on the internet, but in my Lien I used the current legislation. I don’t know where they got that from.
“In my opinion it’s fake.”
Despite now being legally required to pay the fine, Mr Thomas remains defiant that he has done nothing wrong.
He explained, “If it ever got to court, I think they would be in contempt of court, as the judge will say, well, he asked you to prove these transgressions.”
“They say it went to court, but I have no record of this ever happening.
“It’s just a disagreement about what is law and what is law. They never followed the law because they never signed documents properly. The signature was just a photocopy.
“All they’ve done is take a photo from an ANPR camera as proof that I was speeding, to me that’s not proof unless there was a police officer.
“They have clearly laid out their claims against me and essentially what this document does is ask them to prove these allegations.
“I have given them a chance to withdraw the prosecution and if they don’t, I am going to start a Lien process in the courts.
‘There’s nothing you can do about criminal charges other than parking, speeding, that usually works. There is no real victim here, who did I hurt?
“I really believe in the law of the land. By nature I know what is right and wrong.’
However, Warwickshire Police, who led the prosecution, take a different view.
Despite his loss, Mr. Thomas adamant that he has done nothing wrong by his defense
Inspector Dave Valente said: ‘Let me be clear, all drivers on UK roads are subject to the legal requirements of the Road Traffic Act.
‘This includes driver’s licenses, vehicles that are MOT’d, insured and taxed. It also means complying with the speed limit and its consequences. Drivers who respond with elaborate demands based on ancient medieval customs will not escape prosecution.
“Our goal is to make our roads safer for everyone, and that includes drivers adhering to the speed limit. We would much rather learn first and change behaviour, and drivers take a speed awareness course where appropriate – you can take one every 3 years if speeding is within a threshold – but this driver gave us no choice and the case was sent to court.
“It’s really sad that this driver had to pay over £1000 in court costs and was given 6 points on his license when he was eligible for a speed course instead.”
“Unfortunately, this is not a one-off. We have noticed an increase in those citing this type of material to avoid the consequences of a speeding ticket. This motorist found out the hard way, trying to avoid a speeding ticket can cost them much more than responding according to the Road Traffic Act.’
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