Court Today - Experience and Outcome

Convicted Driver Insurance

sl8_82

Member
Well, I'm just back from court. It was nowhere near as bad as i had thought. Had the duty solicitor (really reccomend this as couldnt of done it alone) He spoke for me i only spoke to confirm my address and say guilty and thank you as I left. My story of how i got caught is on here elsewhere but a brief overview blew 67mg of breath, no mittigating or aggrevating factors and previous clean record. I got 16 month ban and offered the course which will reduce it to 12, was fined £360 £85 court costs and £15 victim surcharge - they are allowing me to pay £10 per week which wont break the bank! It def helped that i took in 3 good references one from work, and my own letter showing my remorse and i dressed smart and was polite - as i was expecting to be in the 17-22 month catagory - i think these things helped me get the high end of the lower catagory.
Its been a harrowing couple of weeks since the night i got caught and would say it has changed me as a person, however its done now and im not going to dwell on it. Im going to learn from this and try to draw on the positives - had i of got away with it that night chances are i would of done it again and again and who knows what could of happened then! I can now hand on heart say i will NEVER be going to court again as a drink driver.
365 days to go.....!
 
Eventually, you will settle into life as a non-driver, and be used to it. You don't even think about it after a short while. Before you know it, your ban will be almost up. Its just the last few weeks that drag in! lol
 
Yeah i bet they do, i had only been driving 16 months anyway so i know i can survive without one relying on my friends for lifts to work is a bit risky but I'v always got a plan B so hopefully i'll be ok no matter what. I think it'll be better once my car is sold as its sitting there now teasing me ha ha! Iv booked a holiday as a way of appologosong to my son so have that to look forward to and once thats over it'll be xmas and then before i know it my ban will be up......364 days ha ha!!!
 
Glad to hear it went as well as it could have done SL8 - mine's next Monday so still waiting - to be honest just want to get this week over with and get court over with - i'm really hoping I can speak to the duty solicitor and that they will help me out as i'm very nervous about mine - trying to get some character references in the hope that they may help!

I too need to sell my car but it's proving very hard as the car is on finance and i'm going to lose out on my money.

I also agree with you in a way i am glad I got caught as I would have hated to get away with it one week and then find myself doing it again but with even worse consequences.

Good luck to you over the next year x
 
Thank you! Yep its a weird kind of happy feeling you get when you leave Court, i think the shock, fear, upset you have the day after you are charged and the inbetween period gives you enough time to prepare youself, you know your getting a ban so there are no real shocks and i prepared myself for the worst case so getting 16 months was a bonus. I was shaking like a leaf when stood infront of the magistrate and when i got out of the court i had a bit of a cry but i think that was just all my pent up emotions/nerves coming out.
I was concerned at how happy i felt today (day one of my ban) and not sure if its because it hasnt hit me properly yet but i feel fine and looking forward to having a busy year so the time goes fast Iv already planned my first road trip with my little boy this time next year!!
I dont know anything about finance on cars as mine was my own so cant help there - sorry!
The duty solicitor i saw was lovely and really helpful, hopefully you'll have the same expereince as im sure if had not of been for him and my references i would of got 18 months.
I really wish you the best of luck let us know how you get on x
 
I just hope the duty solicitor is able to see me represent me - as I cant afford the fees for a solicitor - i'm hoping I just get 12 months but who knows can only see on the day...

Will be sure to come back and update - this forum has been a godsend and the support is excellent.

Your ban will soon fly by :) x
 
I know its been AMAZING i honestly dont know how i would of got through it all without it, im also a fountain of knowledge when it comes to DD haha!
The duty solicitor should see you, what was your reading? did you have any mittigating or aggrevating factors?
 
My reading was 54mg and I had a passenger so I think that may be an agrevating factor - I also only drove less than 2 miles up the road.

I co-operated fully with the police and I hope that they would have seen i very much regretted my actions (I spent the whole evening in a cell crying!)

The hardest part for me is having to lie at work - Once i've been to court it will be hard to explain to everyone why i all of a sudden have no car.

x
 
I had a passenger too they didnt mention it in the police report and nothing was mentioned in court so i shouldnt worry about that too much. They dont really care how far you drove to be honest again this wasnt mentioned in court (they would only be interested in distance if you were building a defence against it and pleading not guilty - which costs fortunes) it mainly goes on the reading and if you submit an early guily plea and the fact you co=operated will also help and make sure you get those references too. I think you'll get 12 and the course so you'll have it back before xmas no problem!!
It is hard at work my story is my car is broken, i dont want to waste putting more money into fixing it so im taking it off the road as my insurance is up and im going to save for a year or so until i can get a new one no one has batted an eyelid so far...its a pain though.
Have had my first pang of feeling like **** over it today, my friend has asked me to go over and i want to but i cant get there and she loives over 6 miles away, she is coming to get me but i have to say i feel like such a looser!!! still every day is one day closer to getting it back! I have a feeling these next 12 months are going to crawl past rather than fly by
:(
 
Hi
I think the first week and the last week were the worst for me, the first it really came home what had happened and the last just dragged. I just worked during the 12 months three weeks and saved, if you can get in the habit of not thinking about (I know not easy) the time will fly. All I did was work and take up a few hobbies. Good luck
 
I got a solicitor, and it cost me 110 quid, which i think was well worth it. (It's been almost a year, and i still havent got round to paying him lol)
 
NWA - Yes thats what i plan to do work work work and save as much as i can also do the much needed home improvments that iv been putting off for a "rainy day" I have also booked a holiday in October so it something to look forward before i get my licence back - a year seems a long way away at the moment so im trying to just keep occupied....dreading the winter :(
 
You blew one more than me and you got banned for one month less!

Well done SL8, bet you're glad that's over with. Now instead of counting down to court and being banned, you're counting down to being able to drive again.
 
Well Iv just had a bit of bad news the bloody local paper have published it! Havent seen it yet but one of the town gossips has just had great pleasure in informing me! Im totally gutted and humiliated and could possible now face loosing my job....just when you think things couldnt get any worse :(
 
Bloody local papers :mad:! Are we talking about a little mention in amongst a list of others, or are we talking about a full story taking up a fair chunk of a page?
 
Well iv not seen it yet myself but my friend just read it out to me and its very detailed pg25 with its own headline....im really shocked as it was such a straightforward DD case not like i harmed anyone or anything, even says my name and that im a single mother2 thanks for that as if i dont sound bad enough you thought you would highlight the fact im a single mother great! I now have a whole load of other reasons to be worried, my employers will more than likley find out, my college tutors, and the whole town....what a disaster all for one stupid mistake. Although i know it was wrong i honestly feel my punishmentS have been so very harsh......just wish i could fall asleep and wake up in a years time :(
 
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It's tomorrow's fish and chip wrappers. Yes, people will probably find out who otherwise wouldn't have, but they'll be talking about something else next week.

I don't know if it's a good idea to post your real name on here because this forum shows up in Google searches.
 
oh great! can i delete the post? yeah, im just thinking of all the people what wouldnt never of knew and that was making it easier to deal with, still its done now isnt it and there isnt a fat lot i can do about it!
 
Just thought I would update you on my outcome from today.

I luckily got to see the duty solicitor who was lovely and she spoke for me in court.

I was given a 16 month ban reduced to 12 if I take the driving course which I am going to do.

The duty solicitor said to me after my hearing that she thought it was a little harsh - as I blew 54 at the station and only drove under a mile she thought I would probably get 12 months but I guess it varies in different courts so just have to accept what I have been given!

I was also fined £375 and ordered to pay some today and pay the rest within 3 months...

I feel a little cheated as i've known people with higher readings get off with less than me plus a fine of less...

Cant wait for this year to pass :)
 
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