WITNESS STATEMENT RECEIPT

[Teeliner]

Hello
I just got a witness statement receipt from an officer at Luton rail station.
The offense is travelling from London bridge to Luton without a valid ticket and I bought a ticket from Luton airport parkway to Luton.

What should I do please?

Can I write to the prosecution team before the letter gets to me stating how sorry I am and also looking to get an out of court settlement.

I'm afraid and I don't want this to affect my career or spoil my record.

 

[jfollows]

Is this GTR?
They will usually settle out of court for payment of something like £150 plus the fares they believe you have avoided. If you bought tickets online then there will be a history of what and when you have done in the past which they will be able to access. If you have been making a habit of this, expect to have to pay for all your previous fare evasions. If it's a one-off, so much the better.
The usual advice is to wait to be contacted, then reply with your version of events, making it clear that you understand the severity of your behaviour and that you won't be doing it again.
Writing to them sooner will probably only confuse things, and won't result in any less eventual payment.
There are lots of examples on this section of the forum on the process, some including Luton-Luton Airport.
Make sure the address you have given them is one at which you can readily be contacted. Don't move without setting up mail redirection, for example.

 

[ikcdab]

Hi there, you need to upload all of the paperwork you have received, anonymised so that you can't be identified. Then you can get some advice.

 

[Teeliner]

Is this GTR?
They will usually settle out of court for payment of something like £150 plus the fares they believe you have avoided. If you bought tickets online then there will be a history of what and when you have done in the past which they will be able to access.
The usual advice is to wait to be contacted, then reply with your version of events, making it clear that you understand the severity of your behaviour and that you won't be doing it again.
Writing to them sooner will probably only confuse things, and won't result in any less eventual payment.
There are lots of examples on this section of the forum on the process, some including Luton-Luton Airport.
Make sure the address you have given them is one at which you can readily be contacted. Don't move without setting up mail redirection, for example.

Yes..it is GTR
How many weeks does it take to get the letter ?
I'm asking this because I will be moving out from the address I gave them in 2 weeks time.

 

[Gloster]

Yes..it is GTR
How many weeks does it take to get the letter ?
I'm asking this because I will be moving out from the address I gave them in 2 weeks time.

Well, arrange redirection with the Royal Mail very soon to ensure that the letter (and all your others) go to your new address. The letter rarely takes less than two weeks and can take several months, but usually not more than two months.

 

[Teeliner]

Hi there, you need to upload all of the paperwork you have received, anonymised so that you can't be identified. Then you can get some advice.

That's it below

Well, arrange redirection with the Royal Mail very soon to ensure that the letter (and all your others) go to your new address. The letter rarely takes less than two weeks and can take several months, but usually not more than two months.

Alright.. thanks

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Just to add to what others have said. GTR are normally one of the easier train companies to deal with when it comes to this sort of thing. There is nothing to be gained by writing to them before you get their letter, they deal with thousands of these sort of cases so you just need to wait your turn for your case to get to the top of the pile.

As for what happens next, they GTR will write to you saying that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events before deciding how to proceed. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. GTR are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) for people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and GTR are within their rights to prosecute you in the magistrates court.

Be aware that the train company will be able to search your online purchase history and you will need to be careful how you reply to the letter. You should answer the questions they ask for truthfully but you are not required to incriminate yourself either.

If you are offered a settlement the amount varies depending on the train company and circumstances but tend to be around £150 plus the outstanding fare. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.

Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal details redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[Teeliner]

Welcome to the forum!

Just to add to what others have said. GTR are normally one of the easier train companies to deal with when it comes to this sort of thing. There is nothing to be gained by writing to them before you get their letter, they deal with thousands of these sort of cases so you just need to wait your turn for your case to get to the top of the pile.

As for what happens next, they GTR will write to you saying that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events before deciding how to proceed. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. GTR are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) for people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and GTR are within their rights to prosecute you in the magistrates court.

Be aware that the train company will be able to search your online purchase history and you will need to be careful how you reply to the letter. You should answer the questions they ask for truthfully but you are not required to incriminate yourself either.

If you are offered a settlement the amount varies depending on the train company and circumstances but tend to be around £150 plus the outstanding fare. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.

Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal details redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

Alright
Thank you