Speed camera challenge rejected

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A veteran campaigner's challenge to the use of traffic speed cameras has been condemned as a waste of public money.

Senior judges rejected the appeal by Robbie the Pict, 61, from Skye, calling it a "misuse of the legal process".

The case dated back to 2006 when camera operators claimed he had been clocked at 85mph on the A74(M) at Kirkpatrick Fleming in Dumfries and Galloway.

He challenged the legality of the equipment used to record his speed but it was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Robbie the Pict - formerly known as Brian Robertson - was not in court for the case.

Counsel Claire Mitchell said he had been prevented from attending because of "transport difficulties".

'Days of evidence'

It was later revealed that his car had caught fire in mysterious circumstances at his home on the Isle of Skye.

The case began in November 2006 when, according to camera operators, his red Mazda was travelling at 85mph on a section of the A74 (M) near Kirkpatrick Fleming.

Speed camera operators claimed he had been speeding on the A74(M)

It ended when judge Lord Carloway told the Justiciary Appeal Court in Edinburgh that his conviction before justices in Annan should stand.

In a written ruling the judge added: "This case has occupied days of evidence and submissions at district and appellate court levels.

"Virtually all of this time and consequent public expense has been taken up with the appellant's pursuit of ill-founded technical arguments in respect of an offence which attracted a modest fine and the minimum number of penalty points.

"Such misuse of the legal process is not acceptable."

Lord Carloway added that the criticism did not apply to lawyers who had presented the case "with admirable economy and skill".

Robbie the Pict had never actually denied breaking the 70mph speed limit.

Instead, he tried to challenge the legality of the equipment used to record his speed.