Failure to stop and failure to report - Help please

[thefool6]

HI All, I've been silly. I bumped a car in a car park a few weeks ago and then drove off - I was having a bad day and I know this is no excuse... In fact I felt really bad about it and I wanted to confess, but a 'friend' talked me out of confessing and told me that if I DID confess then I would get an instant fine/points for failure to stop. SO, I kept quiet. Today, I got a letter saying that the person whose car I hit has served me with an intention to prosecute! Failure to stop and Failure to report. It would appear that I was caught on camera - or a witness 'dobbed me in'. What should I do? I want to confess and apologise and pay for the repair. I am insured and the car is legal (MOT, Tax etc) But, if I write and confess and beg for mercy and agree to pay for the damage- will I still get a summons? I already have 3pts for speeding and am desperate because I need the car to take my wife to work (she don't drive) and my daughter to playgroup... I know that I could face 5 pts (min) for each offence and a heavy fine. Totting up I could then get a ban! What's my chances?
I've seen lawyer websites saying that I could claim I didn't notice and contest this...
What should I do?
Can anyone help me please?
Anyone had or know of a similar situation?
Thanks in advance

[sara3]

it almost seems worth a shot of saying that you didn't realise, apologise for your "error" and say you are prepared to pay for any damage, etc. contact whoever sent you the letter and ask them to drop the charges.

but.. bear in mind what the CCTV might show. did you get out and look at the damage? did you stop to consider what to do next?

[sp1214]

This doesn't help you much especially as it says you may have been drunk at the time. I didn't realise the penalties for doing this are so bad. The fact that you have had a letter probably means he has gone to the police so by offering to repair the damage is too late.

Personally I would dispose of the car and give up driving because your record will only add to the problem. You may probably lose your licence anyway.

http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/crimertogeneral.h tm

[Golf38]

I think you would be VERY unlucky to lose your licence for a car park fail to stop/report. It does sound like the police are already involve, the notice of intended prosecution sounds like its from them not the other driver.

You sound like an honest person in the main, so how about grabbing the bull by the horns, going to court and taking the rap.

I would think you'd be looking at a fine of a few hundred quid and a few points.

[New Judge]

The offence of failing to stop and/or report is one of the very few motoring offences for which you can be sent to prison. However, this option is available for the serious �hit and run� type incidents.

Nonetheless it does carry a minimum of five penalty points. The good news for you is that what you have done does not constitute two separate offences. The law says that you should stop after an accident, and if you cannot provide your details on the spot you must report the matter to the police as soon as possible and in any case within 24 hours. You having failed to do either means you have committed just one offence.

There is a defence that you did not know that an accident occurred but this is clearly not available to you.

The likely outcome is a fine of about one and a half week�s net income (reduced by a third if you plead guilty) and five penalty points. You will also have to pay prosecution costs (about �45) and a Victim Surcharge (�15).

The issue of your paying for the damage is separate and should not affect whether you are prosecuted or the sentence. However, if you can show the court that you have made efforts to pay for repairs it can only go in your favour. If you have not done so the court may order compensation to be paid.

[Andyvon]

Yes thefool6, I've had a similar situation to this and on two occasions now.

Twice now I''ve returned to my car in a car park and found that some selfish ******* like you has clouted my car and cleared off. I've still got the scrapes on the car now. I could have left them as I have or I could have paid a lot of money to repair them. Still, you and your mate obviously don't worry about things like that. Was your five year old in playgroup at the time? Or was she in the car with you watching Daddy teach her to do things like that?

Why not just be honest with someone if you damagedtheir car rather than scuttle away like some low-life? If the people who hit my car had been honest I would have shrugged my shoulders and told them not to worry. I'm not that fussed about the car as the scrapes give it character. They're still there. Instead, I still wonder what low-life looked at my car before scuttling away in the hope no one saw them. I was sickened and angry. If I had some way of finding who it was then I would have thrown everything I could at them too. I suggest that's why you are now being done. Perhaps if you had left your number then it would probably never have come to this.

Say thanks to your "friend" and then take the consequences like the man you weren't in the first place!

[thefool6]

Thanks to you all.

As it turns out, I have done the decent thing and confessed.
I hope that the courts have mercy - and that New Judge is about correct in his opinion of my likely penalty.

Meanwhile, AndyVon, I agree with you. No my daughter was not with me at the time and all I can say is that I don't want her to grow up to have a father who does nasty things like this and I am glad in that way that I have been caught.
Also, this sort of vandalism has happened to me and it wasn't pleasant for me either. (In my case I just claimed on the insurance).
And I have done #bumped# someone before and stopped and let my name/number - it's just this time I was stupid.