Dorset Speeding Fine

cardomon

Back last August I recieved a speeding ticket from a camera in Bournemouth. 03.08.12 to be exact.
I was out of work and determined to fight what I saw as unjust so went not guilty.
At about Christmas time I recieved a letter from Dorset Police asking me if I had changed my mind because if I had I could pay them £100+ and do a driver awareness course and all would be forgotten. That just got my back up more.
Yesterday 09.06.12 I got another letter I could pay £60 and get 3 points, and again all is forgotten. Thing is my circumstances have changed. The £60 is not a worry and nor are the points, my licence is clean. But again in the back of my mind something tells me they cant prosecute 10 months after the event, and are they just trying it on.
The leter does contain the line "if you do not meet these conditions you will remain liable for the offence and court prosecution proceedures will be commenced against you"

Advise please.

matty538

From speedtrap bible

http://www.speed-trap.co.uk/FAQ/FAQ.htm

What is the time limit, within which you can be prosecuted. The police have to serve a summons on the defendant within 6 months of the date on which the prosecutor (normally the CPS) certify that they have collated enough evidence to bring a charge. This does not mean that the police have 6 months from the date of the offence to charge the accused. My advice to anyone who has received a summons more than 6 months after the alleged offence is to request a copy of the signed and dated certificate of prosecution from the Police/CPS. For a normal common or garden speeding offence with no complications I can think of absolutely no reason why the prosecution should not issue a summons within 6 months of the offence. Notwithstanding the above, the Prosecution must bring proceedings within 3 years of the alleged offence. The NIP 14 day rule still applies for Gatso and other devices, where you are not stopped and warned of proscecution at the time of the offence.

So according to that, they have 3 years.

hollie.weimeraner

I take it the original offence was 3/8/11 and not 12 The best thing you can do is get yourself some legal advice (which may cost more than the £60 fine) or get over to www.pepipoo.com which should give you some idea of where you stand.

IMHO the police are having a laugh by not issuing a summons within 6 months after you (I am assuming) turned down the offer of a speed awareness course.

The information has to be laid within 6 months (in England and Wales that is), you may not receive the summons until some weeks later but if the information was not laid they are unable to prosecute.

ventureuk

Best advice.

Recognise the game, slow down, don't get caught, find out where the cameras are and why, accept it when you have been caught, because you think it is unjust does not mean you are not guilty.

Obukit

ventureuk wrote: »

Best advice.

Recognise the game, slow down, don't get caught, find out where the cameras are and why, accept it when you have been caught, because you think it is unjust does not mean you are not guilty.

Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If the police didn't want to lay information at court within six months (issuing a summons takes about 30seconds), they either messed up or weren't confident their evidence would stand up in court.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

Sounds like the police have cocked up here and have left it too late to prosecute.
I'd say you are in the clear but your best bet is to go here - http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=5 and start a new thread.

agrinnall

cardomon wrote: »

I was out of work and determined to fight what I saw as unjust so went not guilty.

What was it that you felt was unjust? Was it someone else driving, not your car, did you think you were not speeding? I'm struggling to understand what your issue was with just paying up in the first place. Of course, you may well get off through administrative error now, but whether that is a good result for other road users who could be impacted by your speeding is questionable.

inmypocketnottheirs

Obukit wrote: »

Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Almost, except speeding is an absolute offence.

scotsbob

inmypocketnottheirs wrote: »

Almost, except speeding is an absolute offence.

Has it been proved that the OP was speeding or is there some doubt?

vax2002

Looks like what you are doing is working so far.

cardomon

Where to start with the pay up replies.

You may all be right but I refuse to make it easy for them.

Some years ago I "ran" a red light. I sent Dorset police a very polite letter appologising if I had, but asking if I could see the photo.

I recieved a rude letter back telling me how serious the offence was, ranting on about how many die on the road and how many people had been seriously injured at road junctions.
In fact the offence was so serious they had decided not to take the matter any further and no i couldn't see the photo.

Had I not played up about that ticket they would have just taken the money and ran. They wouldn't have looked at the photo and said they were wrong.

Ever since then I've been as awkward as possible and its suprising how many times they back off.