Going to Crown Court

[iamjack]

Hi

Basically I am appealing my sentence and conviction I received at a magistrates court.

I was found guilty of using the wrong ticket to board a tube.

My appeal will be heard at crown court.

Can you please tell me the likely costs if I lose the appeal.

I am a student and don't have much money, is the costs I will have to pay means tested and based on how much money I have.

The trial shouldn't last longer than an hour.

Any rough idea's of costs would be great

Many thanks

[ojread2]

"My oyster card and her freedom pass both have the same covers on them. "

That does not wash with me. You knew but you didn't check you had the right pass? I do not believe you

I had some sympathy for you, but your hole is getting deeper with each reply you post.

I'm beginning to think this is a WUT

[iamjack]

Ok will try and get more advice and will post here
Will let you know the results

[bednobs]

you might be lucky -there are a couple of posters on here who know what they are talking about. They might see this

[iamjack]

Thanks I hope they do

[craft1948]

I am 'owling at this thread.....................

[EDDIE51]

Sorry but you DID use a wrong ticket and you DID commit a crime !
There is ZERO chance of getting the criminal record removed and as to the fine it may well be increased . You will also have to pay costs of minimum £1500 if this actually goes to court.
Just using the wrong ticket would have been a penalty fare only but you used disabled persons travel pass which is fraud !

[EDDIE51]

Sorry again but your story just does not ring true.
You had an Oyster card but showed the inspector your sisters pass by mistake ? You only had to say ''sorry wrong card'' and show your Oyster card and explain what had happened. If you had already used the disabled pass to get on the tube (even by mistake) you have committed a crime, if you used your oyster card you would be in the clear. So what card did you use to get on the tube? remember the court can get details of when the card / pass was used so it is not worth trying to bluff your way out of this.
Sorry yet again but I am finding it hard to belive anyone could be so stupid !
A criminal conviction for fraud and fare evasion just to save £2 or £3 !!then to compound it by trying to appeal the sentence and fine !!!!!
I hope this is a wind up but I have a feeling it is not .
By the way though this conviction will be 'spent' after a time an enhanced CRB check will show this for the rest of your life ! .

[bednobs]

i read it that both the cards were at the house - he picked up the "wrong" one and left the other one there

[sandyRoe]

Just goes to show how the simplest of mistakes can blight a life.

[New Judge]

What is wrong with your appeal is that you have no grounds on which to make it. From your desription of events you did the right thing by pleading guilty at the Magistrates' Court.

If you continue with your appeal and it fails (and it is my guess that it will) you will be asked to pay costs of around £750.

[EDDIE51]

I' m still not 'getting' this. As you have pleaded guilty how can you appeal the conviction ? A guilty plea means you accept everything the prosecution says.
I still don't see why this was not just a penalty fare , I think there is more we have not been told .

[bednobs]

again, my reading of it is that he accepted he was guilty to the ticket inspector, but then plead not guilty at court??

[mrs_overall]

This post is a hoot

[mike11111]

Either this was a genuine mistake on the OP's part or he is guilty of the most crass stupidity. No one with an IQ above that of a cabbage would dream of showing such a pass to an inspector when it would be obviously spotted as a fraud at once. Far better to just own up to travelling without a ticket and pay the fixed penalty - a lot less cost and no criminal record.

[pink-kittens]

Nope, "I naively pleaded guilty thinking that my full cooperation," << that was in court

[EDDIE51]

He has been to court, pleaded Guilty and been convicted.
Now he thinks he can get guilty plea overturned because he has changed his mind .
As New Judge says , there are no grounds for appeal.
If by some 'loophole' an appeal is made it is bound to fail as he has already pleaded guilty.
iamjack , Have you been told you can appeal or are you just thinking you can?

[grffindoor2011]

As far as I was aware an Oyster and Freedom card look very different, unless they had their own covers to protect them which were the same. Feasible I guess.

I can't get my head around the whole criminal record thing. If you don't have a ticket, use the wrong one they usually just give you an on the spot fine. Seen that a few times happen to people.

I can only guess that iamjack, when he agreed with the ticket guy he said 'yes i did use it fraudulently' and that is why they then wrote to him and fined him more. They only usually prosecute if they have reason to believe you have done it before or admit to using it fraudulently.

I know someone that didn't pay the fine and they were taken to court, but the getting a criminal record doesn't add up to me in this case if it is as stated by iamjack.

If any of us had picked up the wrong card would we not have said 'omg, i've bought my sister card by mistake, can i pay for my ticket now', not 'i have used the card fraudulently', now please let me go I am nervous and want to leave as soon as possible'.

It doesn't stack for me.

You should not be pursuing this iamjack, they will laugh you out of court because you have already pleaded guilty. If you are genuine, I wish you well.

[grffindoor2011]

Just read EDDIE51's post.

iamjack if you have pleaded guilty in court too, what was the reason? You were feeling incredibly nervous, agreed with everything that was said as you wanted to leave as soon as possible?

[Segilla]

In my day, anyone caught stealing a shilling from the till, say, lost his job and was unlikely to get a decent one ever again.
Harsh. But the example kept people in line which, is what the current feeble justice system fails to do.