Court for invalid insurance.. Help please!

Nokmond

Hi all, just joined. Looking for a bit of advice before I go down the solicitor route.. 

Police ran my places on my motorbike back in March while I was parked up. It came back as no insurance, I'd forgotten to update my insurance from the private plate back to the original plates. I did it over the phone while I was there. The police charged me at 10:42am but I have the new insurance docs which confirms I was insured correctly from 10:30am. I sent them off hit they are still prosecuting me. 

The only question he asked me was what I did for work. Stupidly I answered 'roofing' but that's all I said. 

I was out for breakfast/pleasure but I'd stopped to do my brother a favour and take a couple of photo's for him on a site he was quoting for.

I can only presume they are going down the route of not having business insurance. 

This was in London but my bike/business is all based up in teesside so not even close. 

Does anyone know where I stand as regards business insurance? I don't use the bike for work and I wasn't actually working... 

Any help is appreciated! 

Nokmond

Should say plates* 

Brie

I don't think it has anything to do with business insurance.  It's that the police saw that the plate you were using didn't have any insurance at all.  The fact that you did have insurance for a different plate may be immaterial.  

TadleyBaggie

Sounds like you are being prosecuted for not having insurance, not having the wrong insurance. Clearly when the police first saw the vehicle it was not insured, just because you got it insured during the police stop doesn't get you off the hook.

So what exactly have you got, presumably a Single Justice Procedure Notice? What are the exact charges mentioned?

You might be better off going to Pepipoo for advice.

DullGreyGuy

TadleyBaggie said:

Sounds like you are being prosecuted for not having insurance, not having the wrong insurance. Clearly when the police first saw the vehicle it was not insured, just because you got it insured during the police stop doesn't get you off the hook.

Think you are missing the element about the number plates... the vehicle had been insured under one set of number plates but the OP changed the number plates and forgot to update the insurance. Its still the same vehicle thats covered just one of the unique identifiers was changed and so MID returned a no match.

The OP needs to go back to their insurers and explain the situation and ask them to provide a letter of indemnity. If they are willing to do this, it will say that the vehicle was actually insured at the time, then the charges will be dropped/case is easy to win. Some insurers will say its the OPs error not the insurers and so they arent willing to provide such a letter in which case the OP should go via the complaint route... the Financial Ombudsman flip flops a little on these sorts of cases and so its certainly not going to be a slam dunk.

Nokmond

My insurance certificate confirms I am fully insured from 10:30am that day. The charge on the written slip is at 10:42am so at that time I was covered.. 

Nokmond

I sent them the documents but they are still proceeding. 

DullGreyGuy

Either rely on the certificate and defend on that basis or ask your insurers for a letter of indemnity as has been recommended and again that can be put forward pre-trial to try and get a discontinuance or at the trial if they still want to proceed. 

Nokmond

This is the charge slip 

Nokmond

This is my certificate.. 

Nokmond

Dont think I can stop it going to trial now by the looks of it.