Legal News

City of Wolverhampton Council has revealed that the organisers of a planned car cruise who breached a Black Country-wide ban on car cruising have been handed fines and costs totalling £3,000 at the High Court.

Chloe Kendrick, 19, of Childs Avenue in Bilston and Devon Roden, 25, of Highbridge Road in Netherton admitted breaching an injunction when they planned a meeting in Dudley on Sunday, 23 April 2017.

The injunction came into force in 2015 and prohibits people from taking part in car cruises within the four Black Country boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and the City of Wolverhampton. Promoting, organising or publicising such an event is also banned under the injunction.

The court heard that West Midlands Police had intercepted a post on the Pouts and Pistons Facebook page – hosted by Kendrick and Roden – on 19 April. The post invited people to a gathering the following Sunday evening at Tesco, Burnt Tree Island – a known car cruising hotspot.

The planned meeting quickly gained a large following, with more than 80 individuals confirming they were going, or were interested in attending.

Officers from the City of Wolverhampton Council's anti-social behaviour team visited Kendrick and Roden to advise them they were in breach of the High Court injunction and request they cancel the event.

They were also warned that police would monitor the venue of the planned gathering and take committal proceedings against anyone found to be involved in car cruising.

The court heard that Kendrick quickly removed the posts about the event from Facebook – and Roden contacted those who were planning to attend to inform them that the event was cancelled.

As a result, the gathering did not go ahead, although the court heard that significant resources from West Midlands Police and the Central Motorway Policing Group had to be diverted to the area nonetheless.

His Honour Judge McKenna said:

“Having posted and organised such an event, significant police resources had to be deployed to the Burnt Tree Island area on the evening of 23 April –resources that could have been more usefully used elsewhere throughout the West Midlands.

“Car cruising is extremely dangerous – and dangerous to those foolish enough to attend such events. Breaches of High Court orders are serious.”

Judge McKenna said credit was given to both defendants for admitting their breaches at the earliest opportunity, for recognising at an early stage their serious error of judgement – and for taking steps to prevent the car cruise from going ahead.

Kendrick and Roden were each fined £1,000, were ordered to pay the City of Wolverhampton Council costs of £500 – and were warned that any further breach of the injunction would likely result in custodial sentences.

Karen Samuels, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Head of Community Safety, said:

“We welcome the sentences handed down to these two individuals, which demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the authorities to eradicate the problem of car cruising in the Black Country.

“This injunction is an important tool in our efforts to cut anti-social behaviour and improve community safety and we will not hesitate to take action against those suspected of either participating in car cruises in the Black Country, or – as demonstrated in this instance – those who seek to organise them.”

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