3 points plus £295

Moneysavingnewbie999

Hello,

Long story short I drove past a red traffic light. Received a letter and filled in the court forms, pleading guilty and asking for it to be handled without a hearing.

The judgment is 3 points and a payment of £295. The actual fine is only £40, but with court fees, victim surcharge etc it gets to £295. I just wanted to make sure this is right before I paid it as I didn't ask to go to court and I pleaded guilty. It seems a bit excessive.

Thanks

Quentin

It's pointless asking here.


If you really think there's a mistake check with the court.


Next time go yourself and appear contrite.


(Prepare for pulpit thumpers suggesting hanging would have been too good for you!)

PCMcGarry

A straight ticket would have been £100 so I'm surprised your fine isn't at least that. It's doesn't seem that bad,my is can of course appeal the sentence but I doubt it would reduce by much.

AdrianC

I'm surprised you didn't get a fixed penalty, which would have been £100. Are there some factors you've forgotten to tell us?

PCMcGarry

AdrianC wrote: »

I'm surprised you didn't get a fixed penalty, which would have been £100. Are there some factors you've forgotten to tell us?

It had obviously been red for a while so straight to court.

Moneysavingnewbie999

I wasn't offered a fixed £100 penalty. I think the reason is that I crossed the red light a long time after it had turned red.

But I think the actual fine is quite low because I crossed it at less than 10mph and it was in traffic.

I guess my question is are the victim surcharge, costs and court charge applicable in my case even when it wasn't my decision to go to court and I pleaded guilty straightaway? Because they have turned a £40 fine into £295.

prosaver

Moneysavingnewbie999 wrote: »

I wasn't offered a fixed £100 penalty. I think the reason is that I crossed the red light a long time after it had turned red.

But I think the actual fine is quite low because I crossed it at less than 10mph and it was in traffic.

I guess my question is are the victim surcharge, costs and court charge applicable in my case even when it wasn't my decision to go to court and I pleaded guilty straightaway? Because they have turned a £40 fine into £295.

you should off got a letter saying, do you want to pay 40 pound and if you ignore this letter it goes to court and you have to pay court cost also
:cool:

Moneysavingnewbie999

prosaver wrote: »

you should off got a letter saying, do you want to pay 40 pound and if you ignore this letter it goes to court and you have to pay court cost also
:cool:

I didn't get this letter

Aretnap

The fine is means tested and would normally be 33% of your post-tax weekly income for a red light offence where you plead guilty. If your income is very low it will be assumed to be £120 - giving a minimum fine of £40.

However prosecution costs (usually ~£85), criminal courts charge (£150) and victim surcharge (£20) will have been added - and those things are not means tested. Together that adds up to £295.

The criminal courts charge has now been scrapped, to general relief, but AIUI the abolition was not retrospective so if you were sentenced before December 24th you still have to pay I'm afraid. If you are in financial hardship the magistrates have some discretion over awarding prosecution costs, but no discretion over the victim surcharge or the criminal courts charge I'm afraid.

prosaver

Moneysavingnewbie999 wrote: »

I didn't get this letter

that the problem then.
Phone your local police station and see what they say:beer:

PCMcGarry

prosaver wrote: »

you should off got a letter saying, do you want to pay 40 pound and if you ignore this letter it goes to court and you have to pay court cost also
:cool:

Should you, what letter is that?