worried sick

Convicted Driver Insurance

mini6707

Member
I had a big blow out last week drunk fri sat sun n mon. drove my car the following afternoon n crashed into the back of another. I blew 100. taken to cells and blew 114 and 102. I didnt seek solicitor advice sisnt know I needed one. in court a few months time I'm worried sick cant sleep eat or think striaght. I dont have a solicitor now looked at the prices some are charging me 6 grand. I can't legal help as I earn too much. I have a great job which I will lose cos have to travel 55miles to smashed my car up insurance wont cover. will I go to prison I have a Daughter and a lovely home I'm so scared what do I do
 
You will not go to prison for this offence, however this is what your likely to receive
Drink Driving Penalty
Details of offence as provided by you:
  • Specimen Type: breath
  • Alcohol Level: between 90 and 119
  • No previous drink driving related convictions within the proceeding 10 years
  • You have not been disqualified two or more times for 56 days or more within the proceeding 3 years
Based on the information you provided above, upon conviction of driving with excess alcohol, Magistrates' sentencing guidelines suggest:
  • A driving disqualification of 23 - 28 months; and
  • A Low to high level community order
Classed as High Risk Offender
Because the level of alcohol in your system exceeded 87.5 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, or 200 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood, or 267.5 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine you will be classed as a high risk offender.

High risk offenders are required to take and pass a DVLA Medical before their driving licence will be returned to them upon expiration of their driving driving disqualification.
Drink Driving Rehabilitation Course
All courts usually offer first time offenders the opportunity to take the drink driving rehabilitation course. A court may allow an offender to take the course a second time where there is a good reason to do so. Offenders will not usually be offered a chance to take the course for a third time. Completing the course can reduce any disqualification period imposed by up to 25%.
Enter New Information
 
Agreed, you will not go to prison for this.
certainly no need to pay £6000 for a solicitor unless you think you are not guilty or the police messed up the procedure.
You can represent yourself, apologise to the court and hand in a couple of character references from work or someone of note in the community.
if you feel you must have a solicitor you can get a generic one for mitigation and this should only cost £300-400. You can try for the duty solicitor on the day, that is free but it depends on how busy he / she is.
 
Thankyou for your help I'm worried sick about but you have eased my mind a little. just totally messed up had a great job life n car thanks again
 
Agreed, you will not go to prison for this.
certainly no need to pay £6000 for a solicitor unless you think you are not guilty or the police messed up the procedure.
You can represent yourself, apologise to the court and hand in a couple of character references from work or someone of note in the community.
if you feel you must have a solicitor you can get a generic one for mitigation and this should only cost £300-400. You can try for the duty solicitor on the day, that is free but it depends on how busy he / she is.
 
In court You will be asked for your name and address then asked to sit down while the prosecutor tells the judge details regarding your offence,

The judge will ask how you plead,

1,Not guilty = goes to trial
2,guilty=sentencing (normally on the day)

As the other guys above say you won't go to prison for first offence.
 
You will definitely get banned mate. I wouldn't bother wasting too much money on a solicitor, i wasted £3000 on one. Also my place of work was 35 miles away. Had to get 2 buses and a train to work for nearly 2 years. On top of the 3k i wasted with a solicitor i was also banned and fined £750. Best thing in your case is to plead guilty and get the ban out the way. 100% you won't go to prison though.
 
When you are at court "make a note" to ask for the drink drive course that can reduce your ban by 25% or through a solicitor if you are appointing one, because once you leave the court room it cannot be asked for at a later date......
 
This forum has lots of good points to help
Summary


Hi there are things to do Pre court
A) decide if you feel you can put a plea of mitigation to the bench - I got a solicitor just a local one cost £300 ish, he made the case - totally out of character etc
B) write a letter of remorse to the bench noting you could have caused a fatality etc
C) get some character refs to indicate out of character, to state they don’t see you as a drinker, etc I had some excellent ones from work plus ex colleagues there are examples to show them if what to write but they need to really know you & hold positions of authority/ respect.
D) if not been to court before I went for a dummy run that helped I sat in the witness gallery
E) someone to take you
F) finances there is a form you fill in at court I did mine in advance thankfully as I was wrecked in the day - we can signpost you the link
G) ask for driving course as it knocks off time have to ask Pre leaving court
I) now the hard parts -When you renew your house insurance you are asked re criminal conviction sadly DR10 is a criminal conviction so seek advice re the forum - I knew LV wouldn’t cover then went through a broker & got a better quote. Travel to Canada is not possible for 10 yrs & USA is hard
Car & house insurance you only declare for 5 years
Re car you may want a letter ready your NCB as can be transferred up to 2 years
DBS it will show mine will be non spent, depends on job but be honest at my company we have just dismissed someone who had a professional investigation against them & they didn’t say when they started it got picked up during an audit of professional quals I’m sure if she had been honest at the start she would have been ok

Final hard parts sorry : press you are likely to be in the local paper it may just be a line or if press are bored you could get featured - I did including photo, job ( high profile) ( I had done a press release to them years ago & clearly it had triggered my name in search. Nothing had been said re my job as was in character refs yet it got picked up.
This was hard as before it was on a need to know basis but work knew from day one & we’re supportive

But = you find out who your real friends are, you cope re travel ( apart from covid and can’t have lifts atm & discouraged from using local transport) & you walk tall

Stay strong any questions get back in touch
Hope this helps it’s an awful time mine was 13 months ago but didn’t get to court until November it gets easier after court
Talk about it, write things down, & this forum is great for questions.
Ps your case could be delayed due to covid backlog
 
This forum has lots of good points to help
Summary


Hi there are things to do Pre court
A) decide if you feel you can put a plea of mitigation to the bench - I got a solicitor just a local one cost £300 ish, he made the case - totally out of character etc
B) write a letter of remorse to the bench noting you could have caused a fatality etc
C) get some character refs to indicate out of character, to state they don’t see you as a drinker, etc I had some excellent ones from work plus ex colleagues there are examples to show them if what to write but they need to really know you & hold positions of authority/ respect.
D) if not been to court before I went for a dummy run that helped I sat in the witness gallery
E) someone to take you
F) finances there is a form you fill in at court I did mine in advance thankfully as I was wrecked in the day - we can signpost you the link
G) ask for driving course as it knocks off time have to ask Pre leaving court
I) now the hard parts -When you renew your house insurance you are asked re criminal conviction sadly DR10 is a criminal conviction so seek advice re the forum - I knew LV wouldn’t cover then went through a broker & got a better quote. Travel to Canada is not possible for 10 yrs & USA is hard
Car & house insurance you only declare for 5 years
Re car you may want a letter ready your NCB as can be transferred up to 2 years
DBS it will show mine will be non spent, depends on job but be honest at my company we have just dismissed someone who had a professional investigation against them & they didn’t say when they started it got picked up during an audit of professional quals I’m sure if she had been honest at the start she would have been ok

Final hard parts sorry : press you are likely to be in the local paper it may just be a line or if press are bored you could get featured - I did including photo, job ( high profile) ( I had done a press release to them years ago & clearly it had triggered my name in search. Nothing had been said re my job as was in character refs yet it got picked up.
This was hard as before it was on a need to know basis but work knew from day one & we’re supportive

But = you find out who your real friends are, you cope re travel ( apart from covid and can’t have lifts atm & discouraged from using local transport) & you walk tall

Stay strong any questions get back in touch
Hope this helps it’s an awful time mine was 13 months ago but didn’t get to court until November it gets easier after court
Talk about it, write things down, & this forum is great for questions.
Ps your case could be delayed due to covid backlog
thankyou so much xxx what limit were you over and what did you get xx
 
Mine was blood as breatherliser was faulty - was in 17-24 band but they gave me 17 with course it’s come down to 12 months & about 3 weeks no community service but they already knew I did voluntary work
Fine plus court costs were over £1,000 I would do the means form before court they don’t send it probably I should have claimed a few more expenses I forgot
Had local solicitor to mediate with excellent refs
Your job - can you move to home working as most of us have had to do ?
Be honest with your boss & a reference from them saying out if character etc be good
You will be surprised who helps & offers lifts & surprised at other people ignoring you
Be prepared for local press & hope it’s not a slow news day as happened for me
Good luck
 
If you are pleading guilty then there are not really any questions. after the prosecution case has been outlined the magistrates ask you if there is anything you want to say. that is when you give your apologies character references etc. They normally do not ask any questions other than if you would like to be referred for the drink drive rehabilitation course and how you would like to pay the fine.... They do not ask why you were driving, what you drank and when or anything like that. They have the facts from the prosecution but if they say anything in that which puts you in a bad light such as swearing at the officers or not co-operating then it is open to you to point out that you feel this is wrong or exaggerated (but NEVER that the police have lied!, ......just mistaken....)
 
Your name I think date of birth & I think address, then guilty
Post sentence the chair asked if I had understood everything I said yes
I did a letter of remorse & character refs - solicitor mitigated for me - got me to the lower end of the banding
 
I had a big blow out last week drunk fri sat sun n mon. drove my car the following afternoon n crashed into the back of another. I blew 100. taken to cells and blew 114 and 102. I didnt seek solicitor advice isn't know I needed one. in court a few month's time I'm worried sick cant sleep eat or think striaght. I dont have a solicitor now looked at the prices some are charging me 6 grand. I can't legal help as I earn too much. I have a great job which I will lose cos have to travel 55miles to smashed my car up insurance wont cover. will I go to prison I have a Daughter and a lovely home I'm so scared what do I do

Hi . You won't go to prison. It's hard not to beat yourself up I know. You have time to shop around for a reasonably priced solicitor or grab the duty one, I did. Dress smart in court & show remorse. We are living in strange times where our mental state isn't what it should be maybe play on that for your bender on freedom . I wouldn't mention you've been drinking all weekend. Your daughter will understand and a good lesson for her never to do it. You won't do it again that's for sure . Take plenty of walks to clear your head to take your mind of it a little it helps you sleep, I got really fit and cut down drinking which I carried on to this day!. I'm sure your friends and relatives have all drove over the limit at some point so will understand . My friends all learned from my mistake none of them drive over the limit now because of me.
 
Will face a ban of 23-28 months, reduced by up to 25% if you are offered and accept a Drink Drive Rehabilitation Course. Ask for one if the magistrates do not offer it as the course cannot be offered after your case is closed in court.
Espana has given you good advice (welcome to the forum) and you do not need to spend a fortune on a solicitor. The expensive ones are only if you think you are innocent. If you are ‘bang to rights’ then all you need is a generic solicitor (for £3-400) to put mitigation in for you, or ask the duty solicitor at court on the day to speak for you (free, but only if he / she is not too busy) or you can write down what you want to say to the magistrates and present it yourself.
YOU WILL NOT GO TO PRISON FOR THIS.
 
Hi . You won't go to prison. It's hard not to beat yourself up I know. You have time to shop around for a reasonably priced solicitor or grab the duty one, I did. Dress smart in court & show remorse. We are living in strange times where our mental state isn't what it should be maybe play on that for your bender on freedom . I wouldn't mention you've been drinking all weekend. Your daughter will understand and a good lesson for her never to do it. You won't do it again that's for sure . Take plenty of walks to clear your head to take your mind of it a little it helps you sleep, I got really fit and cut down drinking which I carried on to this day!. I'm sure your friends and relatives have all drove over the limit at some point so will understand . My friends all learned from my mistake none of them drive over the limit now because of me.
thankyou for your reply much appreciated. I havent spoke to a solicitor yet but I was thinking of not telling the court that I had been drinking all weekend either..dont think it will go down well. Thanks again for your message just cannot wait to get this court appearance out of the way n if I dont get a solicitor hope I get a duty one on the day...feel like I'm living a nightmare at the minute just want to wake up n it had all been a bad dream ...but I know it's not..thanks again x
 
thankyou for your reply much appreciated. I havent spoke to a solicitor yet but I was thinking of not telling the court that I had been drinking all weekend either..dont think it will go down well. Thanks again for your message just cannot wait to get this court appearance out of the way n if I dont get a solicitor hope I get a duty one on the day...feel like I'm living a nightmare at the minute just want to wake up n it had all been a bad dream ...but I know it's not..thanks again x
what happened to you what did you blow n what was your results in court x
 
Will face a ban of 23-28 months, reduced by up to 25% if you are offered and accept a Drink Drive Rehabilitation Course. Ask for one if the magistrates do not offer it as the course cannot be offered after your case is closed in court.
Espana has given you good advice (welcome to the forum) and you do not need to spend a fortune on a solicitor. The expensive ones are only if you think you are innocent. If you are ‘bang to rights’ then all you need is a generic solicitor (for £3-400) to put mitigation in for you, or ask the duty solicitor at court on the day to speak for you (free, but only if he / she is not too busy) or you can write down what you want to say to the magistrates and present it yourself.
YOU WILL NOT GO TO PRISON FOR THIS.
Thankyou so much much appreciated means alot xx
 
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