Elderly council tax protestor undaunted by jail
An 83-year-old Devon pensioner says she would rather face a prison term than comply with a court order for non-payment of council tax.
Elizabeth Winkfield appeared before magistrates yesterday following summonses from Torridge District Council against 110 people for non-payment.
Ms Winkfield, who lives alone in a bungalow, was the only one of those summoned to attend.
She told the court she had no defence for failing to pay £98.80 of the £747.812 levy on her band C home.
“I accept the facts,” she said.
Miss Winkfield on council leaders to get their act together and stop “wasting money”.
Ms Winkfield, a member of the Devon Pensioners Action Forum, said she would continue her protest again the 18 per cent rise in the local tax.
She told the BBC last night: “I am making a stand. If I were a millionaire I wouldn’t pay it.”
A whip round outside the court raised all of the money she needed to pay the court costs and the remaining part of her council bill, but she vowed to continue her protest until the council relented or pensions went up.
Terry Pattison, a spokesman for the Senior Citizen’s Party, railing against the lack of civility in a “civilised society” said it was “absolutely disgraceful” that Ms Winkfield faced imprisonment because she could not afford her council tax bill.
