Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone will be able to give me some advice on how to deal with the awful situation I have got myself in. First off - I know I'm in this situation through my own stupid actions! I just want to know how I should proceed now.
In 2014 I walked past a ticket guard with having a ticket - I flashed an old ticket as I walked past. Basically I did this as the I was late for a new job & stressed and the que for people buying tickets was ridiculously long and so a made a stupid decision in a couple of seconds to just carry on walking. I got caught obviously, and gave the address of the where I was staying at the time which was with a friend.
A week later I tried buying a ticket at the station where I got off - as I didn't realise this wasn't allowed! I've qued up and bought tickets at the arrival stations before with no issue. Anyway, the guard was pretty nice and asked for a contact address as I was no longer staying with at my friends (long story) I gave my parents address which was where I was then and still am living.
The next week I got to arrival station and realised I had forgotten my monthly pass ticket so ended up in the same situation. Stupid I know, but I was going through a pretty stressful time when all this happened as I just wasn't on top of things. Gave my parents address again as obviously it was where I was living then.
Anyway, I paid the fines that were sent for the last two incidents. But didn't think anymore about the first incident, and didn't hear anything as obviously letters were going to an old address.
Roll forward to now - and I've got a bailiff letter for a fine from the first incident. Phoned up the bailiffs and I've been convicted of RoRA 5.3 criminal offence in my absence at court. So what can I do?
Can I make a statutory declaration as I didn't know about the court summons? Or can I not as it's my own stupid fault I didn't know about it for not keeping track of mail sent to a temporary address?
If I can make a statutory declaration and have the case reopened is there any chance at all of trying to make an out of court settlement with the rail company?
Will the reopened case now be linked to the two following fines at my current address and make the situation even worse? Will they be able to open any new charges against me - in light of new evidence or something like that?
I do understand I'm in the wrong here. I made a stupid decision when I was going through a bad time, but what is the best way to deal with it now?
Thanks
I'm hoping someone will be able to give me some advice on how to deal with the awful situation I have got myself in. First off - I know I'm in this situation through my own stupid actions! I just want to know how I should proceed now.
In 2014 I walked past a ticket guard with having a ticket - I flashed an old ticket as I walked past. Basically I did this as the I was late for a new job & stressed and the que for people buying tickets was ridiculously long and so a made a stupid decision in a couple of seconds to just carry on walking. I got caught obviously, and gave the address of the where I was staying at the time which was with a friend.
A week later I tried buying a ticket at the station where I got off - as I didn't realise this wasn't allowed! I've qued up and bought tickets at the arrival stations before with no issue. Anyway, the guard was pretty nice and asked for a contact address as I was no longer staying with at my friends (long story) I gave my parents address which was where I was then and still am living.
The next week I got to arrival station and realised I had forgotten my monthly pass ticket so ended up in the same situation. Stupid I know, but I was going through a pretty stressful time when all this happened as I just wasn't on top of things. Gave my parents address again as obviously it was where I was living then.
Anyway, I paid the fines that were sent for the last two incidents. But didn't think anymore about the first incident, and didn't hear anything as obviously letters were going to an old address.
Roll forward to now - and I've got a bailiff letter for a fine from the first incident. Phoned up the bailiffs and I've been convicted of RoRA 5.3 criminal offence in my absence at court. So what can I do?
Can I make a statutory declaration as I didn't know about the court summons? Or can I not as it's my own stupid fault I didn't know about it for not keeping track of mail sent to a temporary address?
If I can make a statutory declaration and have the case reopened is there any chance at all of trying to make an out of court settlement with the rail company?
Will the reopened case now be linked to the two following fines at my current address and make the situation even worse? Will they be able to open any new charges against me - in light of new evidence or something like that?
I do understand I'm in the wrong here. I made a stupid decision when I was going through a bad time, but what is the best way to deal with it now?
Thanks