Page 7 | Criminal record and teaching

Luckz66 · 2022-09-13T17:38:05+00:00

I am a teaching assistant hoping to complete a PGCE in the next year or so. I misused my fathers blue disabled badge (parked in a disabled bay for quickness and placed the badge in the window as my children were fighting in the back of the car and had to calm them down) and have a court hearing this week. Is it possible I could still become a teacher as I believe this is a fraud offence? Thank you

Boomboom22 · 18/09/2022 12:10

Op, don't worry too much. Do speak to your head before the hearing. Just explain it as you gave here, a moment of madness. Yes you may get a conviction for fraud but as you are not the low life criminals they often see, had your kids, your dad recently died etc they may well fine you or waive a criminal conviction. You will be able to express remorse and say you work as a ta and want to be a teacher. If you are well spoken this will go a long way. Unfortunately a lot of evidence shows crimes are treated differently depending on the person and you should benefit from this bias.

Boomboom22 · 18/09/2022 12:12

I used to process dbs in hr and a lit of teachers have records for a lot worse, fraud is a strong word but again you declare and explain if you are convicted and I just don't think this would be a huge deal. But I am now a teacher so things may have changed in over a decade.

Original poster

Luckz66 · 18/09/2022 13:20

The thing is if I state fraud would show on my dbs how would my employer know I was telling the truth about the badge? Fraud is such an umbrella term and causes such a wide range of convictions, I’d rather it state what I was convicted for.

OP posts:

cawfeee · 18/09/2022 16:56

I really would consider getting some legal advice before speaking to the head teacher, or doing anything else. It might not be as expensive as you think and at least they can clarify your questions and hopefully put your mind at rest.
It's a topic that going to trigger range of responses on Mumsnet, and most of them will be Ill informed or biased.

namechangeagain123456 · 18/09/2022 18:03

Luckz66 · 18/09/2022 13:20

The thing is if I state fraud would show on my dbs how would my employer know I was telling the truth about the badge? Fraud is such an umbrella term and causes such a wide range of convictions, I’d rather it state what I was convicted for.

I looked on google and someone was recently convicted for 'using an expired blue badge without the badge holder being present', so it's possible your conviction would be more self explanatory than just 'fraud'.

I would get some legal advice ASAP, even if you don't qualify for legal aid, speak to a solicitors who offer a free consultation and they will be able to offer some advice. It might only be 30 minutes worth but it will be 30 minutes better than 0.

And speak to your head as others have said, then if you do get a conviction it won't come as a shock to them and they're more likely to understand.

I honestly know exactly how it feels to be facing a criminal conviction and I know you'll be having a horrendous time. It felt like the end of the world to me at the time. But it wasn't, and one day you'll look back and be proud of yourself for getting through such a shit time xx

sashh · 19/09/2022 07:15

@WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles I have been known to block people in if they are in a disabled space with no badge.

Usually at supermarkets, when I was called to customer services to say I'd blocked someone in I would say, "If they have a blue badge, I'm sorry I'll move it so I can get into the space. If they don't have a BB then they are the ones blocking me, waiting until I have finished my shopping is nothing compared to having a disability".

sashh · 19/09/2022 07:37

I still can't believe it's a crime, I thought it would be in the same boat as speeding / running a red light ect - 3 points and a fine and no effect on your life.

Would you think taking a baseball bat to someone's knees a crime? That's the amount of pain inflicted on me when I can't use a BB space.

Even though the use of the spaces is a crime people still abuse them. Can you imagine if there wasn't a fine?

namechangeagain123456 · 20/09/2022 06:59

sashh · 19/09/2022 07:37

I still can't believe it's a crime, I thought it would be in the same boat as speeding / running a red light ect - 3 points and a fine and no effect on your life.

Would you think taking a baseball bat to someone's knees a crime? That's the amount of pain inflicted on me when I can't use a BB space.

Even though the use of the spaces is a crime people still abuse them. Can you imagine if there wasn't a fine?

I think this is directed at me - if you read it again it says there should be 3 points and a fine! Which in all honestly would probably be more of a deterrence than there is at the moment, because people aren't aware you can be taken to court and charged for it, so people think nothing will happen. If it was widely policed that you got 3 points and a fine, people wouldn't do it.

I didn't say you should be able to be allowed to park in disabled spaces and be let off scot free!

I was saying I thought it would be 3 points and a fine like speeding is, because statistically (although I'm happy to be proving wrong), speeding causes more harm, takes more lives and causes more accidents than parking in a disabled space when you shouldn't. So we could argue that the punishment for speeding should be a worse punishment.

Im genuinely sorry I offended you and sorry that you suffer with so much pain. I was only here to offer some reassurance to the OP, my last intention was to upset anyone else. We know she did wrong but surely that doesn't mean she has to lose her job, not have any income and eat herself up about it for the rest of her life?

TiffyTaffy · 20/09/2022 07:19

Kendodd · 15/09/2022 07:57

So the OP being absolutely sick with worry, potentially losing her job and livelihood as a single mother and getting a criminal record is 'completely proportionate' for using a disabled bay to stop her children beating each other in the back?

I remember I pulled into a disabled bay once (only space available) to move my toddler into the back because she was kicking my gear stick. Presumably the same penalty should apply to me?

Personally, I wish the OP well today and hope she doesn't lose her job and get a criminal record.

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Well clearly you shouldn’t have had your toddler somewhere they could kick your gear stick, and you should have found a more appropriate space.

prh47bridge · 20/09/2022 07:58

Kendodd · 15/09/2022 07:57

So the OP being absolutely sick with worry, potentially losing her job and livelihood as a single mother and getting a criminal record is 'completely proportionate' for using a disabled bay to stop her children beating each other in the back?

I remember I pulled into a disabled bay once (only space available) to move my toddler into the back because she was kicking my gear stick. Presumably the same penalty should apply to me?

Personally, I wish the OP well today and hope she doesn't lose her job and get a criminal record.

Show quote history

It is unlikely OP will lose her job and livelihood. This offence is not one that results in an automatic ban from teaching.

No, the same penalty should not apply to you. Unlike OP, you didn't display a blue badge to which you weren't entitled, so you have not committed fraud. If she hadn't used her father's cancelled blue badge, she would only be facing a Penalty Charge Notice rather than a criminal charge.

WildfellAnne · 20/09/2022 11:08

speeding causes more harm, takes more lives and causes more accidents than parking in a disabled space

The harm is huge to a BB holder who can’t park their car and maybe either has to go back home, or is unable to attend their granny’s funeral, or their doctor’s appointment or a nice day out with friends. Or perhaps they have to park in a non-disabled spot too far away, leading them to fall, collapse in pain, etc. And disabled people have higher suicide rates. BB badges are to make normal life, already very difficult, just slightly more accessible for the BB holders.

LadyLapsang · 20/09/2022 12:55

Surely the main issue is not pulling in to a disabled space to sort out an issue, but the fact the OP had kept and fraudulently used a document belonging to a disabled person who had died. If I was the magistrate I would be very interested in the length of time which had elapsed between the death and the fraudulent use of the badge. Did your mum not tell you to return or shred the blue badge when she notified the LA of the death of your father?

Sandcastlesinthesky · 20/09/2022 12:59

I think you’re asking the wrong question. You’re a single mother of three. Teaching is not a job that will make your life any easier. I am the same age as you with three kids also and left two years ago after teaching since I left university. I haven’t looked back.

prh47bridge · 20/09/2022 13:32

LadyLapsang · 20/09/2022 12:55

Surely the main issue is not pulling in to a disabled space to sort out an issue, but the fact the OP had kept and fraudulently used a document belonging to a disabled person who had died. If I was the magistrate I would be very interested in the length of time which had elapsed between the death and the fraudulent use of the badge. Did your mum not tell you to return or shred the blue badge when she notified the LA of the death of your father?

Correct. If OP had not displayed her father's blue badge, the worst she would be facing is a PCN (i.e. a fine). No court case, no criminal conviction, nothing on her DBS, no risk of losing her job. Unfortunately, what she did was fraud, which is much more serious.

namechangeagain123456 · 01/10/2022 07:13

Did you manage to speak to your head op? Xx

Starseeking · 07/10/2022 01:01

LadyLapsang · 20/09/2022 12:55

Surely the main issue is not pulling in to a disabled space to sort out an issue, but the fact the OP had kept and fraudulently used a document belonging to a disabled person who had died. If I was the magistrate I would be very interested in the length of time which had elapsed between the death and the fraudulent use of the badge. Did your mum not tell you to return or shred the blue badge when she notified the LA of the death of your father?

That's what I thought when I read this. OP obviously knew her dad had passed away, and was continuing to use his Blue Badge. Whatever the reason, she knew she shouldn't have used it, sounds fraudulent to me.