The High Court has confirmed the sentenced of 45 days’ suspension without pay, handed down to a Guardia Civil policeman for making fun of drivers whom he had stopped and fined.

According to the court’s findings, on numerous occasions the policeman “offended” drivers whilst fining them.

For example, in June 2011 he pulled over a vehicle in Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real). He then walked over to the driver; a sales representative who expressed concern over the amount of points he would be losing and if it would cost him his licence.

The policeman, meanwhile, had to put his hand over his mouth to stop himself laughing out loud.

On another occasion when fining a driver for not wearing a seatbelt, the driver mentioned that he new a colleague of the policeman. He told him, “Don’t piss me off with crap stories about ‘knowing,’ colleagues because it won’t stop me doing my job.”

Another time, he disdainfully threw the fine sheet through the driver’s window onto his lap, whilst in another incident, he forced a 2-metre tall, asthmatic driver to bend forward in order to take the breathalyzer test, as he couldn’t see its reading.

“The behaviour of the guardsman is serious and his lack of consideration towards citizens is evident, as much for the verbal expressions used, as the attitude he expressed,” read the court sentence.

Editorial comment: Haven’t things changed since Franco’s days!

(News: Spain)