Have NC’d for this but my username reflects how I am feeling at the moment!
First of all, I realise that I am an idiot so no need to remind me.
In June 2019, I moved house and sold my old house. I thought I had changed my address on everything but I had evidently failed to do so for the DVLA. It now transpires that in August and October 2019, I received two separate fixed penalty notices for speeding (I was going 33 on one occasion and 35 in another) by the same camera near my home. Notices were sent to my old address and I had no idea.
Today I had a letter from a bailiff and I got the shock of my life when I read that my local court had issued a fine of nearly 1700 pounds. I found out that this had been for two separate offences of failing to give driver identity. I also got 6 points per offence so I presume I am now disqualified (although I will call DVLA to confirm all this). I cried down the phone to the court
and they gave me the number to somewhere called the Single Justice Service.
The SJS were quite nice to me and explained that they will send me the paperwork for a statutory declaration which will re-open the prosecution. I can then hopefully plead guilty to a lesser offence of speeding and get a fine and points for this.
I have done some reading on an online forum and it’s told me that I should make my guilty plea for speeding conditional on the more serious offence of failing to give information being dropped. My question is at what stage should I do this? Will there be space in the stat dec to indicate this? Or do I need to wait until the trial (which will be online) and speak to the prosecutor? I don’t want to get it wrong and get convicted for both offences and end up with a million points! Any advice is much appreciated. I am a former lawyer (not criminal) so feel free to be technical if need be.
God, I feel a bit better writing it down! Have been in a bit of a state since I read the letter and have had a shit week as it is.