A driver who received a speeding ticket launched his own investigation into NSW Police and won a payout of almost $5,000.
In July 2023, Jeffrey Little was arrested and charged with driving 26 km/h over the limit in a 90 km/h zone.
But he “knew in my heart” that he hadn’t been speeding, he said. news.com.au.
The former Central Coast Police detective was convinced he had received a penalty for “something he hadn’t done”.
“Nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop,” he said.
After driving for almost 40 years without committing a violation, he was surprised not to have received a warning and decided to fight the fine in court.
His legal costs reached $4,477 as he issued subpoenas to uncover practices related to lidar speeding devices. Police eventually dropped the charge.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Alan Railton ordered NSW Police to pay all of Little’s legal costs at Wyong Local Court.
New South Wales Police were ordered to pay all of Little’s legal costs.
Magistrate Railton concluded that the officer in charge of Little’s case had carried out his investigation in an “unreasonable and inadequate” manner.
The officer had not tested or recorded the speeding device, which was supposed to be standard procedure.
“The officer in charge stated that the relevant tests had been carried out, but they were not recorded in the registry,” the magistrate said.
‘I am of the opinion that failure to register and… failure to comply with NSW standard operating procedures amounts to improper conduct.
“Any deviation from the standard operating manner is inappropriate.”
When the officer was approached outside court, he declined to comment. news.com.au.
Little once led an investigation into allegations of child abuse among church officials in the Maitland region, during his work as a detective.