Police drop 'bizarre' driving charge against 73-year-old with terminal cancer

A 73-year-old Sydney man with terminal cancer has received an apology from police after he was interviewed and ordered to attend court over a bizarre driving charge.

Helen and her husband John emailed 2GB's Ben Fordham explaining they were visiting a shop in Sutherland to drop off secondhand baby goods when the debacle unfolded.

She said while her husband went and parked their car, he had accidentally "bumped" a concrete block.

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The pair returned home, thinking little of it - until three police officers showed up at their doorstep.

Her husband was subsequently interviewed, charged and ordered to attend court next month.

A copy of the charge sheet, obtained by 2GB, stated the offence John had been slapped with was "not reversing a vehicle safely".

"We were absolutely shocked and in disbelief," Helen wrote into Fordham.

"I'm 70, my husband is 73, my husband John is the most upstanding and law-abiding citizen.

"He has terminal cancer and in the past year he's had chemotherapy, radiation and a bone marrow transplant, he's also my carer as I have Parkinson's."

A probe from 2GB found an automotive business that leased the same car park had reported the incident after a mechanic heard "a large bang".

The owner explained to Fordham that the mechanic had noticed the concrete barrier had "shifted slightly" and because they were tenants, had lodged a report "to be better safe than sorry".

But they did not expect police would lay charges against an elderly man with a clean driving record.

Fordham claimed the charges were dropped within 48 hours of 2GB contacting Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

He said Webb attributed "a processing error" to the response and found "the officers involved may have been overzealous".

Helen told Fordham that Webb had apologised and raised the issue with the local police command, but the ordeal had left the couple "horrified".

"We had three police officers come to our door and treat us like murderers," she said.

"I don't like to be critical of the police because I think they do a wonderful job, but in this instance, they got it wrong."