Terminally ill teacher who was arrested for mooning speed camera arrives to court in Bart Simpson mooning police T-shirt

By Adam Dutton via SWNS

A terminally-ill university lecturer who was arrested for mooning a speed camera appeared in court on May 17 wearing a T-shirt showing Bart Simpson flashing his bottom at police.

Darrell Meekcom, 55, was hauled before JPs charged with public order offenses after he bared his backside at a mobile speed camera van as part of his bucket list.

Video footage showed the dad-of-two, who has multiple system atrophy (MSA), being bundled over by six cops and arrested in his back garden last November.

Darrell, of Kidderminster, England was initially arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure before being bailed and interviewed under caution in January.

Last month he was charged with two counts of using threatening behavior likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty.

Registered nurse Darrell arrived for court in a wheelchair sporting a t-shirt depicting Bart Simpson cheekily mooning police officers dressed in riot gear.

The same image was spray-painted on an underpass near his home by a graffiti artist known as the Scottish Banksy after his story made headlines around the world.

The mural by Glasgow-based artist Rebel Bear was later defaced by vandals but has since been immortalized on a T-shirt by Darrell.

The top also bears the slogan "Keep right on to the end of the road" - a reference to the Birmingham City FC anthem which is sung by their supporters.

Darrell appeared before Worcester Magistrates Court to plead not guilty to the three offenses during a short ten minute hearing.

He spoke only to confirm his name, address and to enter his pleas before the case was adjourned for a trial at Redditch Magistrates Court on August 2.

Prosecutor Owen Beale briefly outlined the case, saying: "You may have seen something of this in the media because the prosecution case is that he decided to drop his trousers at a speed enforcement van.

"When officers went over to his home he wouldn't come out."

Speaking at the time Darrell said he was left "gobsmacked" at the "heavy-handed" response and accused West Mercia Police of "outrageous bullying."

He also hit back at the "trumped-up" charges claiming that officers are "looking for any little thing to get me on."

He added: "It's pathetic. What an absolute waste of public funding.

“This is an escalation of what they've done. You can't keep changing it and altering it until you find something that fits.

"What are they going to come up with next. They are literally looking for any little thing to get me on.

"I pulled my trousers down and mooned at a speed camera. That's all I did.

"They are essentially admitting that there was no offense committed in the first place.

"There is nothing on this charge sheet saying I committed any initial offense whatsoever.

"Why were they kicking living daylights of me in the back garden if there was no offense committed?

"So all this is after they bashed my doors in, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage, for no good reason.

"The police escalated it and I am furious about it. I never thought it would get to this point.

"It is a case of bullying and they are trying to get anything they can possibly get to get me.

"I dread to think how much taxpayer's money it is costing to do this.

"My health will not, and has not, got better since all this started. The stress of all this has made my health worse. It is unbelievable."

Darrell, who lives with wife Sarah, 36, and their two daughters, previously told how he was left stunned when cops turned up outside their home.

He had dropped his trousers at a mobile speed camera van on Stourbridge Road in Kidderminster while his wife went to buy some bread from a nearby Tesco Express.

Mobile phone footage filmed by Sarah, a nurse, shows Darrell calmly telling officers: "I'm terminally ill, I won't be able to breathe like this.

"This is ridiculous - I moonied a speed camera. I moonied a speed camera."

Wheelchair-user Darrell - who also has Parkinson's Disease and heart and kidney problems - added: "I was simply gobsmacked. It's honestly all just baffling.

"I got out the car and flashed my bum. I pulled my trousers up and got back in the car. I didn't think anything of it.

"It was a good laugh."

A police spokesperson said last month: "As legal proceedings are now active, West Mercia Police cannot make any further comment at this time".