Help Needed Please! My 19 Year Old Student Son Has Recently Had An On The Spot Fine

[scruffbag]

for weeing in public, of £90.
On Saturday evening, he got another fine of £90, and spent the night in a cell for being drunk and disorderly on an evening out celebrating an event!!
I am concerned as a mother, that this will give him a criminal record. He is at university, studying a four year Maths degree, and would like to be an accountant or something similar, when he leaves. Therefore, he can't really afford to get a criminal record!!
Can you please advice me on this all the experts out there!
Many thanks for listening xxx

[hc4361]

From a police forum, answering the same question:

"The Home Office website says this about fixed penalties:

Payment of a penalty involves no admission of guilt or record of criminal conviction, though the alleged offender has the right to opt for trial by court and risk conviction. Failure to pay the penalty or opt for trial by court may lead to a fine equivalent to one and a half times the amount of the penalty being imposed on the defaulter."

A fixed penalty is not a criminal conviction so doesn't need to be declared and won't show on a CRB check.

[Zacs-Master]

I presume has been given a PND (penalty notice for disorder) When paying penalty notices for disorder, no admission of guilt is required. Paying the PND involves neither an official finding nor an acceptance of guilt and discharges all liability to conviction for the offence. PNDs for recordable offences are recorded on the Police National Computer however and may be disclosed on an Enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure issued by the Criminal Records Bureau, if it is concluded that the behaviour leading to the PND was relevant to the matter at hand, for example the applicant’s suitability to work with children. However, the mere fact that a PND has been issued would not make it relevant.
PNDs are generally issued to first-time offenders with no previous record. PNDs do not constitute a criminal record; they are non-conviction information and treated as intelligence.

[jno]

There's an explanation here

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/jun/24/fixed-penalties-dispute-process

Broadly, it looks as if he'll be okay, but he might need to mend his ways.

[Zacs-Master]

Trefoil, I think you should acquaint yourself with the rules of the site and this particular section:
Please refrain from being rude, abusive or judgemental - members come here for advice, not judgement! Members who offer only moral judgement will be suspended.

[thatsmethatis]

Try finding a public toilet at 1am, not easy, then what are you supposed to do?
To be honest though, getting caught twice suggests he is a serial public urinater

[woofgang]

and learn some bladder control??

[baza]

at 19 he should know better, ask him if he thinks his lifestyle is suitable for an accountant, it's up to him at the end of the day.

[Trefoil1]

Sorry I hadn't read the rules, I will not do this again.

[gina32]

Good advice I thought

[thatsmethatis]

One can only control their bladder for so long. I repeat, if you cant find a public toilet and its half an hour till your bus comes, what would YOU do?

[TTG]

Find a place that is not "public" then.

[woofgang]

you go before you leave the pup/bar/restaurant.

[thatsmethatis]

TTG yes actually that is spot on. I was thinking of 'public' meaning simply outdoors. An ally or bushes would be an appropriate place to relieve oneself rather than 'in public' meaning in full view of others, thanks for pointing that out.

[ummmm]

Lol....yeah....a drunken bladder is so predictable....

[thatsmethatis]

woofgang, I'm sure he did go before he left but, as you surely know, that last pint takes a little more time to venture though.

[chrisgel]

Not the crime of the century is it?
Thatsmethatis - Agree entirely. Got collared myself years ago walking home at 2:00 a.m. Hid behind some bushes out of sight of anyone but unfortunately a copper was parked up over the road and saw me acting "furtively". He read me the riot act but let me go on my way.

[thatsmethatis]

Basically, if you pee where someone can see, You'll be liable to pay a fee.

[woofgang]

this is veering into the moral judgement discussion that we should be avoiding....

[Zacs-Master]

Quite true woof
'and learn some bladder control??'