A great-grandfather from Bristol who was ordered to wear an

electronic tag as punishment for a motoring offence has spoken

out after living under curfew for three months.

Peter Ogden, 74, says being made a prisoner in his own home

was the worst experience of his life.

He was fitted with the tag and ordered to remain at his

house in Stockwood between 4pm and 11pm after admitting failing

to report a road accident, which left a woman seriously

injured.

After the device was removed from his leg last week, Mr

Ogden says the ordeal has left him with no faith in the police

and criminal justice system.

The veteran soldier said: "This has been the worst three

months of my life, and that includes time spent serving in the

Army in Egypt.

"I will never assist the police or the courts again. This is

how this has made me feel. I have been made a scapegoat to make

the numbers up for the police and the courts.

"It's lovely now the tag has been taken off. Now I can go

for walks around the estate in the evening and pop out for a

glass of wine if I feel like one."

Former Grenadier Guard Mr Ogden was believed to have become

the oldest person in Bristol to be fitted with a tag when he

was sentenced at Bath Magistrates' Court in May.

He was ordered to wear the tag and to serve a one-year

driving ban by a district judge after failing to report an

accident in November last year which left pedestrian Kirsty

Hatcher, 25, with life-threatening injuries after being hit by

two cars, including Mr Ogden's.

Miss Hatcher, from Whitchurch, says almost every bone in her

body was broken in the crash and her chances of survival were

rated as slim.

She told the Bristol Evening Post in May that Mr Ogden got

off lightly with a curfew and should have been banned from

driving for life.

Mr Ogden, who maintains that his punishment was excessive,

said his curfew resulted in him missing a Regimental

Remembrance Day march in London and even meant he was unable to

go out of his house to tend his garden.

He said: "Nothing like this has happened to me before and I

believe there was no reason at all for me to be given this

sentence.

"I've not been able to go out of my backdoor to my garden.

My youngest granddaughter had a birthday party but I couldn't

go so it had to be rearranged so it took place at my house. I

had to sit inside as the children played in the garden – that

upset me.

"I thought 'why are they doing this to me'."

The accident happened following a Christmas party for Asda

workers at the Fry Club in Keynsham. After the party, Miss

Hatcher and her boyfriend were walking along the pavement

arguing in Durley Hill, Keynsham, when it is understood a

passing car's wing mirror clipped her and caused her to fall

before she was struck by Mr Ogden's red Daewoo Nexia following

behind.

Miss Hatcher says she cannot remember whether she slipped

into the road before being hit by the wing mirror.

While the four teenagers in the first car stayed to help

Miss Hatcher and called 999, Mr Ogden, who was returning home

from a night out, left the scene.

He says he did this on the basis that he was sure the

emergency services had been called and believed he had not been

involved in the accident. He was arrested the next day after he

voluntarily visited a police station to check if the victim was

okay.

Miss Hatcher believes Mr Ogden should have realised the

seriousness of the situation and remained at the scene until

the emergency services arrived.

Forensic tests found Miss Hatcher's DNA on Mr Ogden's car,

however he was never charged with dangerous or careless

driving.

The pensioner appealed against his sentence on two

occasions, once at Bath Magistrates' Court on the grounds that

the tag was causing him to develop a skin condition, and the

second at Bristol Crown Court, where he was advised to drop his

appeal after a warning that he could end up in prison if he

persevered.

Both appeals failed and Mr Ogden says he was ordered to pay

out further court costs totalling hundreds of pounds.