«Breaking News» Margate gallery manager Dean Stalham fined by Kingdom Thanet Council for choking on bacon cleared

Dean Stalham, 55, (pictured) was outside Dalby Cafe in Margate when a piece of extra crispy bacon got stuck down his throat last February. He coughed it into his hand but was still slapped with an £80 fine for spitting. After a year he has finally cleared his name 

A gallery manager fined £80 when he choked on a piece of bacon and coughed it up has won a year-long battle to clear his name.  

Dean Stalham, 55, was outside Dalby Cafe in Margate when a piece of extra crispy bacon got stuck down his throat last February. 

When he started to choke he coughed it onto his hand but was hit with an £80 for spitting.

He refused to pay Thanet District Council, who employs contractors Kingdom, and was threatened with a £2,500 fine and potential court case. But after a year he has finally cleared his name. 

Describing his victory, Mr Stalham said: 'I'm completely vindicated and been protesting my innocence for so long.

'It's ludicrous it's taken 12 months to receive this letter which says they can't prove I did it.

'My solicitor will be demanding some apologies from everyone now and writing to Kingdom. I said I'd see it out to the end and it's a massive relief.'

Kingdom has come under fire in recent weeks after an undercover investigation revealed officers hid in bushes to catch people out on minor offences like dog fouling and dropping cigarettes. 

Speaking after last month's court hearing when he was told he faced trial before magistrates he told how after he left the cafe he crossed the road.

As he walked for another 100 yards he felt a tap on his shoulder and was confronted by the litter enforcer.

He said: 'I said 'you're having a laugh'. I never spat, I coughed.

'I said I think you need to go to Specsavers because this is ludicrous.

'I've got an unusually large tongue, that's a medical fact and it's joined at the top. I often get food trapped - that's a fact of my life.

'I left the cafe, coughed and the bit of bacon came out my mouth. In no way was it spitting.

'I was brought up to cough into your hand and I've always done that.'  

Despite pointing to a piece of bacon caught on his coat sleeve after he raised his hand to his mouth, Mr Stalham's pleas were ignored.

So he refused to give the anti-litter enforcer from private litter enforcement firm Kingdom his name, address and pay the fine.

Thanet District Council which employed Kingdom then took him to court and he was facing trial next month where he could have faced a maximum fine of £2,500. 

He joked he would never eat bacon again after it led to facing trial and added: 'Never in a million years am I giving them a penny for something I didn't do.

'I'll die innocent of this. If you interview me on my death bed I'll still maintain it.

'It's one of those cases - it seems so ludicrous and ridiculous but there is a serious side.'

Mr Stalham was concerned his previous criminal record could have gone against him despite being crime free for 15 years and becoming a respected writer and artist in the Kent town.

He is open about serving time in prison twice - for bank fraud and again for trying to sell stolen art by Warhol and Dali worth more than £6 million - after being born into a life of crime in a poverty hit part of post-war north London.

But he believes his life now is evidence that anyone can turn their fortunes around and has made him more determined to fight the fine.

He said: 'I do loads of stuff for Thanet council, I run creative writing classes and run a community art gallery and two homeless charities in Canterbury.

'I work with Thanet council on one hand and yet on the other it's them [who was] taking me to court.

'It's no secret I've been in prison but I've been completely crime free since 2004 and built up a good reputation.

'Government guidelines for issuing a PCN say don't issue if it's not in the public interest and this isn't because it's been admitted what it was - a piece of bacon.'

He said hefought so hard to appeal the fine because he was a volunteer worker and received universal credit.

He said: 'Things are tight as hell and I've even been to the foodbank last month. So £80 would cripple me.

'Your innocence is major to who you are and it's your human right to plead you're innocent - £80 against £2,500 shows how committed I am to proving my innocence.

'Why else would I do it?'

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/13/margate-gallery-manager-dean-stalham-fined-by-kingdom-thanet-council-for-choking-on-bacon-cleared/
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Dean Stalham, 55, (pictured) was outside Dalby Cafe in Margate when a piece of extra crispy bacon got stuck down his throat last February. He coughed it into his hand but was still slapped with an £80 fine for spitting. After a year he has finally cleared his name 

A gallery manager fined £...

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Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca





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