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You're Wearing Those For Your Community Service?

By John Mesirow

So this woman (no, that's not her, but could you resist using that picture?) crashed her car and refused a breathalyzer test. For her crime, she was sentenced to 80 hours of community service. Apparently nobody anticipated that she would show up for the community service in 4-inch heels. She was sent back to court, as the boots were deemed a health and safety hazard. What do you think should happen? Here are excerpts of the story from The Daily Mail:

Debbie Stallard was told she couldn't do the manual work because her boots were a health and safety hazard.

The 47-year-old, from Paignton in Devon, claimed she was unable to wear flat shoes for medical reasons. 'Since I was a little girl I have only been able to walk on the balls of my feet. Even my slippers have two and a half inch heels.

'The long and the short of it is that I can't wear flat shoes because of a medical condition I have had since I was a child. 'It's health and safety gone mad. I was made to feel stupid'.

The mother-of-two had been sentenced to 80 hours community service after she was convicted of damaging a vehicle and failing to provide a specimen of breath.

Within 10 days she arrived at the probation service's community payback workshop in Torquay but was told her towering boots would be unsuitable for 'the vigorous work ahead'.

The probation service took her back to court last Friday asking that the community service order be revoked and replaced with another punishment.

Judges have adjourned the case until more detailed medical reports are made available.

Probation officer Heidi Randle said: 'She attended on the date required but was sent away because she was wearing heels. 'We tried to contact the GP [General Practitioner] in this case and received a letter which was non-committal and does not say anything specific about wearing flats.

Starting to smell a bit?

'It is a non-NHS [National Health Service] matter and, for a fee, he would write a more detailed report'.

Or does the doctor just want some dough?

Ms Stallard's solicitor John Darby said: 'My client has always lived on her toes. 'She has always worn heels and in her last job had to sign a disclaimer so she could wear high heels to work. She can't walk in flats.'

A spokesman for the Probation Service said: 'We take the health and safety legislation for offenders very seriously. 'Ms Stallard was offered protective footwear but refused to comply. We had no option but to return the order to court for magistrates to re-sentence as they see fit.'

Interesting. Here's the source.

Full post as published by Legal Juice on September 07, 2009 (boomark / email).