Domino's workers prosecuted for using stolen Blue Badges in Bedford town centre

Mihai Codita, aged 29, of Orchard Drive, Kempston, was caught displaying a stolen Blue Badge in a car parked on Maitland Street, while working at the nearby Domino’s Pizza takeaway in December.

He told council investigators he was given the badge by a homeless person and blamed parking pressures in the area. Investigators found that the badge had been stolen from a car in July.

Codita pleaded guilty before Luton Magistrates’ Court on August 4 and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £114 and costs of £1,000.

Another delivery driver at the same Domino’s Pizza takeaway in Midland Road was also prosecuted at the same court on August 28 for Blue Badge misuse.

Vivek Gopalapillai Dhananjayan, known as Vivek Gopal, aged 38, of Emmer Drive, Wixams, pleaded guilty to having displayed a stolen Blue Badge in a parked car near the junction at Maitland Street and Midland Road in December.

He was ordered to pay a total of £300, including a fine, victim surcharge and court costs.

Two others have also been prosecuted over Blue Badge fraud in December.

Alina Wazna, aged 36, of Grosvenor Court, The Avenue, Bedford, was caught illegally using a child’s Blue Badge while parked in Riverside Car Park during school term time in December.

Wazna, pleaded guilty at Luton Magistrates’ Court on August 28.

Magistrates heard that the council had confirmed her child was in school on the day and raised the seriousness of using a child’s Blue Badge to avoid paying for parking, particularly in her trusted role as a self-employed counsellor.

She was ordered to pay a total of £412, including a fine, victim surcharge and court costs.

In a separate case, Dominik Hornak, of Spencer Road, Bedford, had displayed an expired Blue Badge when parked in Saint Loyes Street in the town centre in December.

Hornak admitted to investigators that the Blue Badge belonged to his stepfather but did not realise it had expired.

He did not attend the hearing at Luton Magistrates’ Court on August 4, but was prosecuted and ordered to pay a total of £1,642.80, including a victim surcharge and court costs.

Councillor Marc Frost, portfolio holder for financial services and financial sustainability, said: “Blue Badges exist to help people with genuine mobility needs park near to where they need to go. Every time a badge is misused, it takes away a parking space from someone who really needs it and denies the council revenue that funds local services.

“Council officers estimate that the misuse of a single Blue Badge can cost the Council around £1,000 a year in lost parking revenue - on top of the impact on genuinely disabled residents who are left without a space.

“These prosecutions show that we take Blue Badge fraud seriously, and we will continue to carry out enforcement operations and pursue offenders through the courts.”

If you have any information relating to anyone misusing a Blue Badge, report it to Bedford Borough Council’s Investigation Service.