08 August 2009 16:45

RE: Cost of trial of Mr Parnell, Stockport Magistrates’ Court

Dear Mrs Oliver,

Please remove me from your email cc list. I have no desire or need to know of your enquiries. One piece of advice. The FoI allows you to ask and receive copies of existing documents. It does not give you the ability to ask public bodies to generate information for you. If such a document does not exist they do not have to produce one for you. – Just trying to help.

Regards,

Mark Weldon

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To – FOIUnit@cps.gsi.gov.uk

Email sent – Sat 08/08/2009 16:43

RE: Cost of trial of Mr Parnell, Stockport Magistrates’ Court

c.c. Cllr Sue Derbyshire; Cllr Mark Weldon; Cllr David White; Cllr Dave Goddard; MICHAEL PARNELL; Barry Khan; Chief.Constable@gmp.police.uk; John Schultz; alan.rusbridger@guardian.co.uk; STUNELL, Andrew

Dear FoI Officer

Following the newspaper reports of the £20,000 cost of a trial of a man found innocent of stealing one banana, please could you let me know – as accurately as possible, although a reasonable assessment would be acceptable – of the cost to the taxpayers of Mr. Parnell’s trial last January, which was dropped on the day of the hearing and the further trial which took place last month at Stockport Magistrates’ Court. At this trial he was given a CRASBO (criminal ASBO) pre swine flu for assault with a sneeze with intent to inflict a council employee with a cold. I believe CCTV footage of the incident was not allowed to be shown in court for some inexplicable reason.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you need further details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards

Sheila