A man used his dead mother-in-law's blue badge to park his car for free, months after she had died.
Francisco Fernandez has been slapped with £800 in fines after being convicted of false representation.
Fernandez was caught parked on double yellow lines in Leigh Road, Leigh in July 2022, by a plain-clothed counter fraud officer during a routine blue badge fraud detection and deterrent exercise.
He claimed his mother-in-law was not with him but at home, but suspecting fraud, officers kept the blue badge.
Further investigation found that Fernandez’s mother-in-law had died in October 2021.
In interview, Mr Fernandez said that he knew using the blue badge was wrong, but he didn’t realise it was a criminal offence.
He appeared at Basildon Magistrates Court on Wednesday, April 19 and admitted false representation concerning use of a blue badge.
He was fined £369 and ordered to pay a £148 victim surcharge and £320.10 in costs, totalling £837.10.
EssexLive reported Shaun Dutton, counter fraud and investigation manager for Southend City Council, said: “Mr Fernandez cooperated with the investigation and expressed remorse for his actions. The council is committed to tackling this issue head-on, hence the routine detection and deterrent exercise.
"Blue badge fraud is a matter of concern to residents. Most people, including Mr Fernandez make the mistake of thinking misusing a blue badge is a traffic offence, not a criminal offence.
"Simply put, if the blue badge is not in your name, or the person whose name it is in is not with you, do not use it.”
