A terminally-ill retired university lecturer who was arrested after mooning a speed camera has been cleared of a public order offence. Darrell Meekcom, 55, was detained in his back garden by several officers after he bared his bottom at a mobile speed camera van last November, the Mirror reports.
The dad-of-two, from Kidderminster, who has multiple system atrophy (MSA), was originally arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure and dangerous driving, but went on trial accused of obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty. Two further counts of using threatening behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress were dropped by prosecutors.
Mr Meekcom was cleared by Redditch magistrates on Tuesday, who found him not guilty of resisting arrest and that that his “defence of self-protection has been accepted”. West Mercia Police also confirmed a complaint had been received and would now be referred to their professional standards department.
Speaking after the verdict, Mr Meekcom said: “I’m extremely pleased. The truth, like oil, comes to the surface. You don’t go to those extremes. The magistrates summed it up perfectly.”
Mr Meekcom, who lives with wife Sarah, 36, and their two daughters, previously said he was left stunned when police turned up outside their home. He had dropped his trousers at a mobile speed camera van on Stourbridge Road.
Mobile phone footage filmed by his wife shows him telling the police officers who arrived at the house: “I’m terminally ill, I won’t be able to breathe like this. This is ridiculous – I mooned a speed camera. I mooned a speed camera.” He said he was "gobsmacked” at the “heavy-handed” response and accused West Mercia Police of “outrageous bullying”.
Prosecutor Sarah Hurd had said that Mr Meekcom had been uncooperative when officers arrived at his address and he had directed abuse towards them before resisting arrest. She said it was only a “short piece of obstruction”, but the defendant’s actions had been “unjustified”.
She said: “There is body-cam footage which shows Mr Meekcom is at the back of his premises, he shouts abuse at the officers and they then arrest him. He is not cooperating with his arms in allowing them to get a grip properly to allow them to apply handcuffs. He then resists arrest. He is taken to the ground, it is then that Mr Meekcom informs them that he has some very serious health conditions.”
PC Jones told the court Mr Meekcom had earlier been abusive and added: “I was concerned by what he would do next. From the very beginning he was doing whatever he could to stop us. We did move the handcuffs as we were listening to him about his health.”
After clearing Mr Meekcom, chair of the bench Justice Charles Townsend said: “We note that at no point during the hour-long-plus incident did you cooperate with, or inform the police of any health issues until you were taken to ground. We feel the police acted quite lawfully on Friday 5 November by arresting you.
“However, given the serious health conditions you are faced with, clenching your hands in the way that you did was justified, given the potential consequences of your hands being placed behind your back. Therefore we find you not guilty of resisting arrest and that your defence of self-protection has been accepted.”
Mr Meekcom added: “It has been unbelievable really since last November. The police interview at the station, they were really rude. They changed the charges three times. When you're unwell, you don't want this. I maybe shouldn't have done it anyway, but when you're dying you think of things differently.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
