Posted on 05/06/2009 4:52:45 PM PDT by Daffynition
A WOMAN ordered to undergo a community service sentence was sent home by probation workers – for turning up in high heels.
Debbie Stallard, 47, had refused to don regulation work boots, claiming she suffers from a rare medical foot condition.
She had been sentenced to 80 hours of community service after hitting another vehicle and refusing to take a breath test.
But she raised a few eyebrows when she turned up for the first day of her sentence wearing black boots with four-inch-heels.
Probation staff told the mother-of-two her footwear was inappropriate and a health and safety hazard. Stallard, from Paignton, Devon, said her medical condition meant she was unable to wear flat shoes.
Newsagent Stallard was told to return to court. Probation officer Heidi Randle told Torquay magistrates: “She attended on the date required but was sent away because she was wearing four-inch heels.
“The shoes were not in line with health and safety requirements. Shoes have to be flat and not open. We tried to contact the GP in this case and received a letter which was non-committal and does not say anything specific about wearing flats.”
Stallard told the court: “It’s health and safety gone mad. I was made to feel stupid, like I had gone there wearing them deliberately but that is not the case.”
Her solicitor John Darby said: “My client has always lived on her toes. In her last job she had to sign a disclaimer so she could wear high heels to work.”
Stallard is appealing to wear heels during her sentence. The case was adjourned until May 15.
I have an aunt who wore high heels so much (1950’s & 1960’s) she really could not walk in flats or in her bare feet. Even her house slippers had very high heels. Apparently her calf muscles had shrunk and tendons had shortened. She was crippled without her high heels.
So let her do 80 hours of ho’ outreach - she’ll fit right in.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.