Camp site owner demands hearing over unpaid bills
Wednesday 24th February 2010, 2:58PM GMT.
Bleu Soleil owner David Bridges takes his case to the Attorney General Picture: MATTHEW HOTTON ((00897754)
A CAMP site owner accused of harassment chose to personally pester the Attorney General yesterday to plead his case.
Bleu Soleil camp site owner David Bridges camped out at Morier House demanding to see the Attorney General, Tim Le Cocq, and brandishing a placard explaining his grievance. ‘Within half a minute of doing that I was seen by someone,’ he said. ‘I now have an interview on 3 March. It only took me three hours of waiting.’
Mr Bridges is one of a number of Jersey businessmen who claim that they were left out of pocket by a UK couple who fled the Island leaving unpaid wedding bills totalling more that £12,000. Mr Bridges wanted to complain in person after being warned last month that he could be arrested under harassment laws if he did not stop contacting the couple in the attempt to get his money.
‘The police are not looking after Jersey businesses,’ he said. ‘The criminals seem to have more rights than law-abiding people like me. It’s totally unreal.’
‘The police dropped my case in January after 12 months, but it took them just four hours to serve the harassment charge to me after it was sent,’ he said. ‘I’m totally disappointed in the whole system.’
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Whats the point bothering with this place when you here things like this. Poor bloke, everything these days is geared toward protecting the guilty.
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If the couple haven’t paid there large bill they should be forced in front of the courts to pay it back. Nothing in this world is free and people who con the system should be named and shamed so buisnesses are aware and this does’t happen again.
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WOW! all that paperwork completed in four hours!!!
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The couple should be taken to court, the poor business’s have been left with no payment, the company should book a flight to the UK and knock on there door…
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good luck mr bridges.
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I like to say thank you to everyone for your support, it is most appreciated – David Bridges
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The spirit of clamour d’Harro not dead then?
good luck!
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Will have to try this next time JT or the JEC send me final reminders for unpaid bills just give the Police a call and get them off my back !!
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Good luck David!
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How daft is this. My understanding is that issuing a dud checque is a fraud and should be pursued as such. How on earth can it be harrasment to try to recover what is rightfully yours. What are the police doing to sort this out for goodness sake!! Crack on I say David and don’t let them get away with it. Ang I hope the police do their bit enforcing the law of the land and protecting law abiding tax payers instead of sheilding wasters
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While I really feel for this chap and it should not have happened but I can’t understand why after not getting a responce to sending invoices he did not go straight into a cilil action which would have cost him £15.00 which he would recover also.It will always be that civil action has to be taken so that is what he should be doing.
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Kate – I understand that he already did that and followed every possible route. The couple in question are in the UK following their fraudulent actions in Jersey which not only left Mr Bridges out of pocket but also other local business people, as well as a church!
The point that he was trying to make was that despite ripping off businesses already struggling in the current climate these people are able to counter claim a charge of harassment against him which was served whilst their own debts go ignored by the police. It seems that one civil action in the UK prompts the local police to jump through hoops for their mainland counterparts whilst on the flip side of the coin it’s a giant two fingered salute to our businesses.
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Why did Mr Bridges not take a deposit and references. It is terrible that he trusted these people.
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Once again the law protects the criminals whilst the decent honest hard working man gets shafted.
Good Luck Mr Bridges. I hope that not only you are successful in recovering what is rightfully yours, but that this couple are bought to justuice and appropriately punished.
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This sums up so well just how the victim is harrassed and criminalised in our so-called modern society while the real guilty party gets away with it and is protected by the police and others who should be there to help the victim get justice!
I am disgusted at the way this has been handled and to be looking to criminalise Mr Bridges for just trying to get justice and what is rightly his is shameful!
The only proper outcome from all this would be that the couple are prosecuted for fraud and Mr Bridges and others get their money in full and an apology from the police and anyone else who have tried to make them the criminals!
Good luck Mr Bridges
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On Radio Jersey this morning it was reported Mr Bridges had been sending the couple “threatening letters “.
As much as I sympathise with Mr Bridges, 2 wrongs do not make a right.
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To PJG Comment 16 The only threating letters that I have sent to these fraudsters is putting Outstanding Invoices that I send each month to be paid in red writing and also that I said to them a copy of this invoice will be sent to Jersey and Exeter Police, Is this threating or do you support these criminals as well. These people have never got in contact with all of the effected businesses and if you did hear what Ms Vickery said on the radio that it is in third party hands no one has ever got in contact with all of us for over a year. Who is this third party we do not know who it is not even the BBC, I bet PJG that if someone owed you money you would be a little miffed as well!!!
Once again, thank you for all your support, just to let you know even the Rector of St Brelades is coming to the meeting with the Attorney General as well on Wednesday next week, so we even have GOD on our side.
Kind Regards
David Bridges
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Not wishing to detract from the plight of Mr Bridges, but what a farce.
Has anyone managed to have a free wedding in upmarket places such as St Lucia or Mauritius? Worth a try. These are the big players in the holiday weddings market.
Or do other islands ask for the money up front?
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In 1983, with police help, a person who stole money from us was identified. But when we tried to get our money back we were told by two police officers, in our own home, that we could easily find ourselves on the wrong side of the law if we attempted to gain restitution from the thief, not to mention possibly causing that persons death! Nevertheless we persevered and eventually, after many months, the police paid us our missing money. Things never change, so don’t give up Mr. Bridges, and we wish you the very Best of Luck.
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“…even the Rector of St Brelades is coming to the meeting with the Attorney General as well on Wednesday next week, so we even have GOD on our side.”
Where was the wedding held, I wonder?
Was the Rector “one of a number of Jersey businessmen who claim that they were left out of pocket” as well?
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The Attorney General is a public servant. It is surprising that he sat in his office for hours and allowed this episode to escalate for a number of hours.
Public servant. Paid from the public purse. Acts on behalf of the public. Answers to the public. Accountable. Is he?
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