DD Fucked Up - what will happen

[TheCakeDiet]

DD (17) called me last night sobbing. She has fucked up and all of her own making, but what I am trying to determine is what the consequences will be.

She went to her Boyfriend's house yesterday evening. It was quite late (as she had a day off school today) so they decided to sit in his mum's car to chat rather than risk waking her up.

DD sat in drivers seat for no particular reason. They put the engine on as it was cold and DD - for reasons that she can't really explain - moved the car forward about five feet. She has a provisional license only and her boyfriend the same. Meaning not qualified OR insured to be doing that. The only reason she can give is that she has only ever driven her lesson car and wanted to 'see how it felt'.

She knocked the car in front. Small scratch.

In the meantime, a 'concerned neighbour' noticed a boy in a black hoodie (boyfriend) getting into a car that she knows belongs to blond woman) his mum - and decided to report a possible 'live' car theft. Police arrived just as they were standing oven mouthed with horror and having dinked the car.

DD owned up straight away and gave her details and boyfriend's mum was woken and said she didn't want to pursue/press any charges (thank you thank you).

Police had initially searched DD and her BF thinking they were stealing the car but BF showed them the key and pointed to his house. Because they were searched (I believe?) the police had to bring dd home. They told me they wouldn't be pressing any charges and she has no record, but they do need to notify DVLA that she moved the car five feet. They have said they don't know exactly what will happen but she may get up to 6 points on her provisional license and a ban that will come into effect once she has passed her test.

We will also be contacted by Social Services.

I am livid. DD is hugely remorseful but tough shit.

I haven't even told DH yet as he will hit the roof and I didn't sleep all night and can't face it the ranting that will ensue.

I have told DD she must pay for any damage and write a letter of apology. I have also told her she will obviously now NOT get a car in the near future and we would have to wait and see what action DVLA take.

What I really want to know is what the DVLA consequences are likely to be. Police were vague - lots of 'might be this, might be that'... but also quite enjoying the fear they were putting into her - lot's of "you're lucky you aren't in a cell" etc. I have no problem with them giving her a scare, but it means it was hard to know what was the likely scenario so we don't know what to expect.

Anyone had anything similar?

Thank you

Round here (nice but old fashioned area) this would have made it onto the local Facebook group and the neighbour would have been spoken to to stay out of it! Even tagging them in a post saying stop it would be enough to embarrass them to see sense

OP I feel sorry for your daughter, minor injury and minor damage accidents really should be civil matters. Maybe if the police didn't waste time with things like this they could dedicate it to county lines.

We have nice cars and if some hits it we have no excess minor damage cover through the dealer so it's not like anyone will be out of pocket if people insured them properly!!! Once some old idiot opened the car door on my brand new mini (1st car I had from new) and they did nothing about that!

OK, this is the Met and they send 7 cars to a fender bender?

What serious crimes were they avoiding? What is the knife toll for the Met so far this year?

Honestly, I think this is a massive over reaction by neighbour and police. In my job, I hear a lot about crime and negative life experiences and how often police drop cases after very serious assaults, usually because CPS won’t go ahead.

i sincerely hope nothing comes of this, it is a total non issue. I despair if our taxes are being used on this kind of inconsequential act.

I would feel very sorry for any teenager who got caught up in this rubbish.
let’s hope it gets dropped, as it should. And I am no fan of badly behaved teens, quite the opposite.

The minor damage isn't what the daughter might be in trouble for, it's for starting and moving a car she doesn't own, doesn't have permission to drive, isn't licensed and isn't insured for.

The person opening the car door on your brand new mini is a different thing entirely. I'm not certain what you mean but presumably either that they banged a door into your mini (not a driving offence) or you literally mean they opened the door (not an offence at all if that's all they did).

DH is police and can’t believe how much time and money is being wasted on a non event. He said words of advice would be the norm.

Actual car thieves get away with stealing cars night after night. The CPS don’t bother prosecuting because nothing works so they let them carry on.

Trouble is most police these days are very young with little life experience and go over the top with everything. Also so many police are Covid cops, employed in the last 4-5 years and have spent a lot of time doing nothing so either go over the top with excitement or are too lazy to do a proper job.

I do hope the horrible neighbour gets a dose of piles and shits a pineapple!! She probably knew exactly who the kids were too!!

In relation to the "driving" of the car, movement of a car, no matter how small the distance without the owner knowing is taking a conveyance without the owners consent (otherwise known as TWOC). Where damage is caused to the vehicle taken or another vehicle as a result of the driving, it unfortunately becomes aggravated TWOC. Where police asked BF's mum if she wants to "press charges", I imagine what that means is she was asked if she wanted, or was willing to, provide a statement supporting a complaint of TWOC. Without the support of the victim of the car taken it is unlikely the investigation would go anywhere, hence no charges brought. The neighbour may well have given a statement in terms of what they witnessed etc but without confirmation from the actual victim in the form of an evidential statement that the vehicle was taken without their consent, police won't actually be able to prove that the car was TWOC'd in the first place so again, unlikely charges will be brought in that aspect (don't rely on my word for it though).

Regardless of whether or not the TWOC element is supported, there are still offences of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and driving without insurance. The neighbours statement could be used in relation to that if they witnessed the driving etc and can ID the person driving as your daughter. That doesn't mean they necessarily have to name her - it would be enough to say "I saw a female of this description in the driving seat, saw her drive the vehicle five feet forward and hit the other vehicle and then kept her in view until police got there - I can confirm that the female police spoke to on attendance is the same female I witnessed driving the vehicle". These offences are what I'd expect pice to pursue, if anything (again providing no formal complaint of TWOC).

With regards to the police response - seven cars sounds like overkill but if there has been a spate in the area it may be a case of organised crime. We have had a spate in my force area and the people involved are known to use cars as weapons (ramming police cars, driving at officers etc) as well as engaging in high speed pursuits. If I was attending a possible theft in progress, knowing that that's what I could be going into, I'd want as much back up as possible and I won't criticise officers for attending with seven cars (which could still only be seven officers because there's never enough to double crew any more). Yes on this occasion it wasn't an organised crime gang willing to use any force necessary to escape but officers wouldn't know that until they got there and identified who was in the vehicle.

In relation to the PP advising not to go in for an "informal interview" - there's no such thing. You either go in for a voluntary interview (in which case you're entitled to legal advice and you can take your own or police can organise it for you) or you refuse and you get arrested (and you're still entitled to legal advice) . If given the option I'd always go in for a voluntary as arrests get uploaded to the Police National Computer (PNC). If I arrange for someone to come in for a voluntary and they want a solicitor I arrange it ahead of time so we're all good to go as soon as everyone is at the station. Then the interview is exactly the same as it would be if you were arrested (under caution, recorded etc). You just end up doing it at a time convenient for everyone and you can get in and out as opposed to getting nicked at an inconvenient time and waiting in a cell before and after the interview! Obviously if she does need to be interviewed its ultimately your guys decision as to how its handled.

This echos the view of the Sergeant I spoke to the following day.

A lot of young (and Community Police officers) attended the scene. It was a Community Police Officer who was talking to her about being 'thrown in a cell' and 'never being able to drive again' etc...

We are in a leafy suburb of London with lots of Premium SUV and expensive (serious cyclist style) bicycle theft. High burglary, but not a lot of violent crime. I think they were delighted to have something 'live' to do.

Sergeant said he would have done 'bit of a scare and slap on the wrists' brought her home and had a quiet word, instead of what happened which was a bit of a circus.

But here we are.

Thank you all for your kind words. I know it's a bit of a storm in a teacup - but not to DD. It's massive for her and causing her a great deal of stress - a bit less now - but stress none the less (and yes, a bit deserved but still...)

So thank you again.

There was a 7 car response and you only just mention it

@fUNNYfACE36 I said they were heavy handed. I said they were all over it like a rash. The implication was there - why the accusatory tone?

How does it change the narrative except to confirm that they were quite keen to get a 'result' of something and that DD was sufficiently scared to never do anything like that again?

Thank you for that @PCAMA obviously from a place of experience so much appreciated.

Unfortunately, driving without insurance is an absolute offence and in this case your daughter didn’t have it. Because the witnesses provided a statement that’s not very good and I’m afraid of the end of the day even if the person whose car was hit doesn’t want to support prosecution the fact that your daughter was driving, albeit a few feet without insurance that doesn’t change anything except the bump probably won’t be prosecuted for driving without due care. I think they’ll prosecute her for no insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance than with a licence. At court she will probably receive no separate penalty for no licence and she’ll get six points and a fine for the insurance offence. It’s not the DVLAs decision. If she’s lucky it might be a fixed penalty rather than a court hearing, but either way she will have points on her provisional that will carry over to a full licence if she passes during the life of the points. The only positive is that she hadn’t had a drink as even if she hadn’t driven if you’re over the limit behind the wheel with the keys in your possession or the ignition you can be prosecuted for being drunk in charge of a vehicle.

I still can't get over this. The whole thing. What a police over-reaction. 7 cars? what a waste of tax payers money.

We'll all phone the station OP (teasing) and complain at their utter waste! (Only joking but wish we could).

@Dotjones yup idiot smacked her car door off mine, luckily mini paid the bill but the way she did it was criminal damage, it was with so much force. All I got was a log number when I reported it, yet they can send 7 police cars to an apparent car theft because it's a young person oh and it's the met says a lot.

Neither injured party is interested in taking it further so it should be a simple police caution end of discussion/event and even that is heavy handed. It should really been a non recorded telling off by the shift inspector. She 17 for crying out loud not a 70+ old lady who should know better!

Look at that woman who only got manslaughter for pushing a cyclist into the path of a car, yet the met can pursue a girl bumping her BF mums car.

The way this young girl has been treated is beyond inexcusable when we know significant deliberate offences (see above) are ignored. That before you start on the fact the police don't have the funding to pursue everything, yet spend it on traffic offences when county lines is still happening.

Considering the Mets reputation if I was the OP I would be putting in a complaint about the way my daughter was harassed by the Met and sending it to the gutter press to report they hate the Met at the minute

7 cars sounds like intimidation and bullying to me. Hands up. Then the 'throwing in jail', 'never driving again', is very OTT.

Wtf is wrong with the neighbour that took the footage, rang the police and is now making a statement 😳 they must have the most boring uninteresting life to pursue this

I can't believe the number of people who are so judgemental of DD. While I recognise and acknowledge that this was a stupid thing to do, I also know that I was very stupid as a teenager and would have done something like this without thinking it through.

Exactly this. Perhaps I inhabit a different world from others but this sounds like the sort of overkill that might happen in a tiny village where nothing ever happens. Though thinking about it, that's probably the sort of place where 'a quiet word' from the local bobby would have sorted it all out. The idea that this is being allowed to mushroom into some crisis, when all around us dreadful crimes are being committed, is almost surreal.

Completely!! And I say this as someone who is a nosy bitch who would not hesitate in reporting a drink driver etc. They'd recorded them being sat chatting in a car?

I think this a lot watching various cop shows etc. It's almost like they're so glad to see someone who doesn't run away, is repentant etc and they're happy to offload all the words they'd like to say on those who drink/drug and drive, steal cars, joy ride etc. It can be a traumatic event for a family who's never in trouble with the police - and a total none event for all the shit bags who misbehave time and time again.

To answer your question about the legal support, I think I would in this circumstance pay for a solicitor on advice on how to respond to any further trouble rather than pay to fix bf's mum's car. As a parent - your responsibility is to your daughter first, before other people and their belongings. Obviously getting it paid would be my #2 priority with DD making repayments but ultimately the BF is the one who's responsible to his Mum for getting the car damaged.

i didnt know thieves sit in the car chatting and eating beforethey nick it-you learn something every day

Typical, more scorn for her than the one who did something very foolish.

This coddling mindset prevalent in this thread is a joke in all honesty.

So who is the letter from OP?
Did police contact SS?
Did police contact DVSA?

Re the neighbour who reported this I wonder if DD & BF were being rather more noisy than they realised. OP has said they were sitting playing music in the car. Neighbour gets fed up (it was late) and calls the police claiming it is a car theft in progress.

Another lesson for DD: dont annoy neighbours.

Wait what? Are you suggesting the neighbour made a deliberately false report to the police because they were annoyed?

And the lesson there is for the daughter?