Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Court summons for speedingTicket

121 replies

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 21:11

ive really messed up here and now am panicking
My husband was caught speeding in my car. Stupidly I somehow didn’t realise the letter was addressed to him after he’d opened it and showed me, so I filled out the form genuinely thinking I was the registered keeper (I’m not).
the next form was addressed to me and I was late send this back due to a hell of a lot going on in my life at the time and be just being overwhelmed and quite frankly stupid. I rang the number and they gave me a 7 day extension and said just send it now and don’t worry.
husband received his form and confirmed he was driving at the time.
we’ve now received a court summons as this whole process has taken beyond the amount of time allowed for police to deal with the matter and I’ve wrongly named myself as the registered keeper/filled out a form addressed to my husband.
In realise this is beyond idiotic but was a genuine mistake. Ive messed up every part of this process and have got into such a state with it. I’m a good person, clean lisence would never do this intentionally.
im panicking now but am told all I can do is wait to hear what the court decide.
How much trouble could I get in?!

OP posts:
ScarletWitchM · 11/02/2025 22:23

They will be mostly concerned with the offence of speeding and the person responsible (your husband) as you didn’t lie about who was driving but made a mistake about the registered owner you should be ok - especially since your husband is the registered owner. So essentially he was caught speeding in his own car - he will be the one that is punished and you might get told off for misrepresenting the info (but not the most important info which is who was driving)

Halycon · 11/02/2025 22:23

OP it sounds a bit like maybe he wanted you to “accidentally” take the points.

YourAzureEagle · 11/02/2025 22:25

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 21:55

I was also told he wont be physically going to court, we’ll receive paperwork and a statement from him will be read out?

I believe you have the right to ask to attend your hearing and present your case, that would be the better option.

In fact just looking it up, your best option is to plead not guilty, it then gets passed to the CPS, who regularly drop these because of lack of robust evidence, worst case if they don't is you go to court in person.

CFbillsplitter · 11/02/2025 22:34

The police already know who the registered keepers of cars are. So your husband received a letter addressed to him as the registered keeper but you filled in the form to say that the registered keeper was not driving, but your husband was. This was an error because your husband is the registered keeper and should have filled in the form to that effect.

The form is likely to say on it that it is an offence not to reply/reply on time and that it shouldn’t be passed on to anyone else. The penalty for this can be 6 penalty points and a fine up of £1,000 imposed, unless you can show that it is impossible to comply despite your best reasonable and diligent enquires to establish the driver's identity.

That is your husband’s responsibility. It is his fault that he did not discharge his duty.

I presume that the police/courts haven’t written directly to you about an offence?

in any case you should both speak with a solicitor.

AllyCart · 11/02/2025 22:35

OP, if your DH already has 6pts presumably he's now been caught speeding 4 times in 3 years? Or has he turned down the offer of SACs or MACs on the 2 previous occasions?

Interesting reading some of the speeds being mentioned in this thread by various people.

34mph in a 30mph: No action is taken below 35mph in a 30mph.
56 in a 50: Action of any type starts at 57mph.
71mph on the M1: Only if there was a lower limit in force. Definitely not for a 70 limit.

Here's a table that shows what happens and when:

Court summons for speedingTicket
CFbillsplitter · 11/02/2025 22:39

You say “the next form was addressed to me”. What was that form and what information did it ask?

Tapofthemorning · 11/02/2025 22:40

I don't think anyone is getting the full picture.

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 22:48

First letter - (addressed to husband) confirming registered keeper. This is where I messed up and filled this out thinking I was the registered keeper/it was addressed to me.

second letter - addressed to me. Actually looked identical to the first letter so I was confused and rung them up and she said it was a different form and to fill it out? So I did. This was saying I was the registered keeper and my husband was driving. I was late sending this back but they gave me an extension.

third letter - to husband, confirming he was driving. Filled out and sent off correctly

fourth letter - court summons

basically I have completely messed this whole thing up

OP posts:
Daisydiary · 11/02/2025 22:51

I don’t think you messed anything up. Your DH should have filled in the form himself asap he got it. The end.

L0bstersLass · 11/02/2025 22:59

@Wanttohelpbuthow
Your husband needs a solicitor.
If for nothing other than to make himself understood clearly. Something you've manifestly failed to do in this thread.

The situation he is in is a mess as aside from the speeding, the court may also be interested in why he is still recorded as the registered keeper of a vehicle with the DVLA, when they have information (from you) that he is no longer the registered keeper. Failure to notify change of keeper is an offence.

Titasaducksarse · 11/02/2025 22:59

Yeah..sounds fishy as fuck to me.

I'm a Magistrate but in family court only so I've nothing more to add.

Just have a think.

Anonforthis58 · 11/02/2025 22:59

Daisydiary · 11/02/2025 22:51

I don’t think you messed anything up. Your DH should have filled in the form himself asap he got it. The end.

Exactly this. Your dh knew he was the registered keeper, as 1. The letter came to him, and 2. He bought you the car when you had your 3rd baby. He knew 🤷‍♀️

AllyCart · 11/02/2025 23:03

OP, what is the offence stated on the summons?

L0bstersLass · 11/02/2025 23:05

Daisydiary · 11/02/2025 22:51

I don’t think you messed anything up. Your DH should have filled in the form himself asap he got it. The end.

I'm afraid she has.
She's provided misleading information to the police and signed a form confirming it.

That's messing something up.

She should have read and understood what was being asked and what she was signing. The clue was that they'd written to her husband, the person officially recorded as the registered keeper.

CFbillsplitter · 11/02/2025 23:06

AllyCart · 11/02/2025 23:03

OP, what is the offence stated on the summons?

Indeedy!

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:07

@Titasaducksarse there is honestly nothing more behind this than us both just genuinly not paying enough attention and thinking I was the registered keeper. Honestly, as I’ve said before I’m not sure what I would gain by intentionally lying about that?

OP posts:
ticktickticktickBOOM · 11/02/2025 23:09

Honestly I wouldn't worry.

It would have been a court hearing anyway for someone who has already 6 points and caught speeding.

You haven't changed the course of anything at all.

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:09

Letter states “due to the date your admission was received and the date of the offence, this matter cannot be dealt with as a fixed penalty fine. Therefore, the file will be prepared for the single justice procedure and you will receive further correspondance in due course”

OP posts:
Donkeyfromshrek · 11/02/2025 23:10

You won't get into trouble at all if it's your husband who's been summonsed to court? He is the one who was speeding, and is the registered keeper of the car. From the courts point of view this is nothing to do with you.

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:11

Equally worried about what trouble he will get in!

OP posts:
ticktickticktickBOOM · 11/02/2025 23:12

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:09

Letter states “due to the date your admission was received and the date of the offence, this matter cannot be dealt with as a fixed penalty fine. Therefore, the file will be prepared for the single justice procedure and you will receive further correspondance in due course”

Honestly it wouldn't have been just a fine anyway as he already has the 6 points.

A colleague got caught speeding 3 times in 5 years and got a fine plus 6 month ban.

Nothing you could have done to change that.

He needs to change his driving.

AllyCart · 11/02/2025 23:15

ticktickticktickBOOM · 11/02/2025 23:12

Honestly it wouldn't have been just a fine anyway as he already has the 6 points.

A colleague got caught speeding 3 times in 5 years and got a fine plus 6 month ban.

Nothing you could have done to change that.

He needs to change his driving.

Absolute nonsense.

Having 6pts does NOT preclude you from getting another fixed penalty.

Why on earth post that?

AllyCart · 11/02/2025 23:20

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:09

Letter states “due to the date your admission was received and the date of the offence, this matter cannot be dealt with as a fixed penalty fine. Therefore, the file will be prepared for the single justice procedure and you will receive further correspondance in due course”

So it's an SJPN not a summons then, OP. They are different things.

There is still a chance that will get only 3pts and a small fine if the situation is properly explained and he can do that while pleading guilty (by post) to the SJPN.

If they accept that, he won't get banned as banning can only happen in court.

Or have they actually said it's a court hearing only?

Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:22

the letter just says exactly as above, I rang the police and she said mentioned the word court a few times but again I don’t fully understand this whole process.
not an excuse but I’m fairly young and have never even got a parking ticket before so this is all alien to me

OP posts:
Wanttohelpbuthow · 11/02/2025 23:22

She mentioned having to pay court fees

OP posts: