Police State?

According to the Sunday Express a Batton-on-Humber car owner was summoned for obstruction. He proved in Court that on the day of the alleged offence the car was at a garage with gearbox trouble. It transpired that a garage hand had moved the car onto the road. The Law took the view that the car’s owner was to blame. The magistrates gave him an absolute discharge. But they made him pay the costs of the case!