Jump to full article: This is Lichfield / Lichfield Mercury (uk), 2009-05-14
Intro: A RUGELEY mum-of-two who threw a cigarette butt out of her car window has told of her 'shock' – after a court ordered her to pay a whopping £727 for littering.
Marie Elson, aged 42, of Newman Grove, tossed the cigarette end onto the road during a school run to Fair Oak Business and Enterprise College.
But she was spotted by two environmental officers from Cannock Chase Council.
"At the end of the day I do not dispute what I did – but I was just shocked by the amount," Marie told the Mercury this week. . . .
But she admitted she did not realise the seriousness of the offence.
And because of family commitments and health problems, she failed to turn up at Stafford Magistrates' Court on April 30 and did not enter a plea by post.
She was found guilty in her absence and fined £350 for dropping the cigarette end and £200 for failing to pay the fixed penalty notice. She also has to pay £162 in costs and a victim surcharge of £15 – a total of £727.
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