Difficult mitigation
I recently represented a client at Guildford Magistrates’ Court charged with speeding – 96 in a 70. He already had six penalty points on his licence and faced disqualification if he received penalty points in line with the sentencing guidelines. He narrowly avoided disqualification after I informed the court of…
Failing to stop after an accident
If you have an accident on the road, you must stop and exchange details. If you continue your journey without stopping, for any distance, an explanation will be required. I represented a driver recently who had driven a considerable distance after being involved in a road traffic accident. The explanation…
Preparation for trial
Spare a moment, if you will, for your lawyer who is preparing your trial. At a recent case at the Redhill Magistrates’ Court, I was asked to represent a client at a trial for a road traffic matter. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? The first job of preparation is understanding…
The importance of examining the evidence
My client was charged with driving without due care and attention at Redhill Magistrates’ Court. The other driver claimed that my client had rammed him! Fortunately, photographs existed of the damage to the vehicles. These photographs confirmed that the damage was consistent with a side on side collision, rather than…
Use of Visual Aids in Court
I represented a probationer driver (within 2 years of passing his test) at Redhill Magistrate’ Court. He was charged with failing to stop and failing to report an accident. The two charges could attract up to 10 penalty points; being a probationer driver he would lose his licence if he…
Listening Skills
At Guildford Magistrates Court, I represented a client charge with speeding (96 in a 70) on the A3. He already had a number of points on his licence and was in danger of being disqualified. I was able to persuade the Court not to disqualify by explaining his personal circumstances;…
Drink/Drive Offence
The prosecution is bound by the rules of law and procedure. These rules exist to ensure fairness and justice. It is my job to exploit any failure by the prosecution to apply these rules correctly. In a recent drink/drive case, I exploited such a breach in favour of my client….
Driving Ban
A driving ban means exactly that, and when it is imposed it takes immediate effect. Recently a disqualified motorist ignored the warnings from the Magistrates and drove away from court after his ban was imposed! He was returned to court and sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment for the offence of…
Avoid the Temptation to Lie
A driver paid a friend to accept a speeding conviction on his behalf. The authorities found out and the driver was convicted of perverting the course of justice and sentenced to five months imprisonment. Instructing a quality lawyer in Surrey will always be more sensible than trying to lie your…
Speeding Habits
7 out of 10 driving convictions are for speeding, and middle-aged drivers in senior management positions are more likely to be convicted, according to an article in the Telegraph. A speeding conviction adds about 8% to the cost of an insurance premium. If you face a speeding conviction in the…