Edinburgh crime: Man fined for stealing blue badges in Caledonian Crescent as victim speaks out

Disabled blue badge thefts in Dalry leave retired nurse fearful of more break-ins

A disabled woman whose blue parking badge was stolen from her car has said she is scared to display it in case the same thing happens again.

Diane Blackwood, a medically retired former support nurse at the Sick Kids Hospital, was alerted by a neighbour at around 8pm on Tuesday, May 2, after the window of her car was smashed and her blue disability badge was stolen. The car had been parked outside her Caledonian Crescent flat at the time and around 24 hours later, another resident on the street fell victim to the same crime.

Police arrested and charged 41-year-old Michael Sutherland in connection with a car break-in and he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to two of the charges; theft by opening lockfast motor vehicle and breaching bail conditions. He was fined £120.

Diane Blackwood's car, parked on Caledonian Crescent, had it's side window smashed and blue disabled badge stolen from within on Tuesday, May 2.

But Diane, 53, has spoken of her disappointment at his sentence, stating that she had to fork out £60 to repair her car and get a new badge. And she has been left wondering whether or not to use her new blue badge due to fears she would have to go through this “stressful” situation again.

She said: “I don’t want to put my new blue badge back in the window of my car as you are a target. But if I don’t, the traffic warden will fine me. It’s actually cheaper and less stressful to get a parking ticket than go through all this again. Although this guy was arrested and charged, which might put him off doing it again, he is just part of the chain. It’s a gang stealing these blue badges and selling them on. So it’s not going to stop. They have young boys go out on their bikes and report back to them. Then someone comes along walking a dog and then just does a quick smash and grab then runs. There are others on lookout, watching for police or whatever.

”It's easy money for them, they don't care how it affects people. It’s an easy little earner for them. I have heard it’s a huge problem just now. I didn’t expect to see it in my street, it's scary. I have got my suspicions as to where they are off-loading them. It’s happening everywhere. It's depressing.”

Diane spoke of the impact this crime has on the victims, particularly during a cost of living crisis. She said: "My neighbour has had a lot of trouble with his car insurance and getting a new badge as English isn’t his first language. I’m going to have to pay for a new badge but do I display it? If I don’t I get a ticket, but if I do it's a target.

The second car targeted in Caledonian Crescent last week, which also had a side window smashed and blue badge stolen, on Wednesday, May 3.

"It’s only £10 for a replacement, but it's just all the hassle. And £50 for excess on the insurance for the car window. We are all skint just now, these things add up. There are quite a few cars here with blue badges so a lot of people are wondering what to do.”