SHAMED MP Eric Joyce has been fined £600 for cutting off his curfew tag to compete in a parliamentary boat race.
• Eric Joyce was fined £600 after removing the electronic tag in order to compete in a charity boat race
• The Falkirk MP removed the electronic tag with a pair of scissors, setting off an electronic buzzer and alerting security firm SERCO
• Joyce’s tagging order is due to end on July 10th
Joyce, 51, who was forced to wear the tag after assaulting fellow politicians in a bar brawl earlier this year, used a pair of scissors to cut it off, to avoid negative publicity pictures of him wearing it.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard today that the former Labour politician was rowing for the House of Commons against the House of Lords in the London charity race.
When it was cut off, it set off an electronic buzzer, and he was contacted by security firm SERCO.
He said outside court today that he didn’t want to let down the organisers of Siemens-sponsored parliamentary boat race, but admitted that he’d made “an error”.
Joyce, who now lives in Stirling, admitted breaching the tag order on July 4 at the boat race, which was held on the Thames outside the Houses of Parliament.
His lawyer Dick Sandman said: “This is a somewhat unusual case. He was at first not required to wear the tag, but he was eventually told he had to wear one and complied.
“He had agreed to take part in a charity rowing match. It was set to take place on 11 July, the day after his tagging order ended but the race was moved a week earlier.
“He was rowing for the House of Commons against the Lords.”
