My Day In Court..
Discussion
Hi Guys,
First Post, but been lurking here for a while..
I thought I would share my first experience of having to attend a magistrates court for speeding as it was a rather amusing experience to say the least..
But first some background..
I was caught on the A419 heading towards Swindon by a trafpol with Vascar.. Speed recorded 104.2mph in a 70mph limit..good conditions, light traffic etc,etc..
The BIB that pulled me, was a decent chap.. showed me the speed, explained the situation.. he didn't lecture me, gave me some sensible advise and sent me on my way.. The whole experience left me feeling like I had learnt something rather than feeling like i had been fleased.. he said there was nothing wrong with my driving but couldn't let it go because of the speed..
I had to wait 5 months 3 weeks before the summons arrived..and ended up in court yesterday..
Arrived early, got booked in with the court usher and was waiting around chatting with my girlfriend who had accompanied me for moral support.. As the place filled up I began to realise I was the only one wearing a suit.. WTF.. these people clearly don't give a sh1t.. filled up a bit more and i noticed that they all clearly knew each other..
Buy this time they are all discussing the various merits of the charges brought against them, how they don't give a fook, doesn't matter about any fines cause I won't pay them etc.. most were there for drink driving/no insurance/no licence, with a few in for theft, criminal damage and other lesser charges.. I was the only one in for speeding..
What did I learn from this, the fact that all the susposed PC bollocks about don't judge people etc, etc.. Is just that.. If they look like a pikey off the local council estate, they are a pikey of the local council estate and they are more than likley a crimnal or one in traning.. I mean for ffs, I was standing outside havin a fag and I overheard one of them say to the other 'if u gonna go down, say ello to me mate 'blah blah' inside. he will look after u he's a top bloke'. WTF is the matter with these people, you got your day in court cause u clearly did something fairly serious, it is not a social outing..
The funniest bit of they day had to be, when one of the little scrotes, who turned up late strolled over and asked if I was the duty solicitor.. When I told him I wasn't, he said 'ow, just u wearing a suit and that, know where he is??' LOL!!
Well, I only got a 7 day ban and £200 fine after speaking to the magisrates and representing myself. Not to bad considering..could have been a lot worse..
Laters..
EVO6RSS..
First Post, but been lurking here for a while..
I thought I would share my first experience of having to attend a magistrates court for speeding as it was a rather amusing experience to say the least..
But first some background..
I was caught on the A419 heading towards Swindon by a trafpol with Vascar.. Speed recorded 104.2mph in a 70mph limit..good conditions, light traffic etc,etc..
The BIB that pulled me, was a decent chap.. showed me the speed, explained the situation.. he didn't lecture me, gave me some sensible advise and sent me on my way.. The whole experience left me feeling like I had learnt something rather than feeling like i had been fleased.. he said there was nothing wrong with my driving but couldn't let it go because of the speed..
I had to wait 5 months 3 weeks before the summons arrived..and ended up in court yesterday..
Arrived early, got booked in with the court usher and was waiting around chatting with my girlfriend who had accompanied me for moral support.. As the place filled up I began to realise I was the only one wearing a suit.. WTF.. these people clearly don't give a sh1t.. filled up a bit more and i noticed that they all clearly knew each other..
Buy this time they are all discussing the various merits of the charges brought against them, how they don't give a fook, doesn't matter about any fines cause I won't pay them etc.. most were there for drink driving/no insurance/no licence, with a few in for theft, criminal damage and other lesser charges.. I was the only one in for speeding..
What did I learn from this, the fact that all the susposed PC bollocks about don't judge people etc, etc.. Is just that.. If they look like a pikey off the local council estate, they are a pikey of the local council estate and they are more than likley a crimnal or one in traning.. I mean for ffs, I was standing outside havin a fag and I overheard one of them say to the other 'if u gonna go down, say ello to me mate 'blah blah' inside. he will look after u he's a top bloke'. WTF is the matter with these people, you got your day in court cause u clearly did something fairly serious, it is not a social outing..
The funniest bit of they day had to be, when one of the little scrotes, who turned up late strolled over and asked if I was the duty solicitor.. When I told him I wasn't, he said 'ow, just u wearing a suit and that, know where he is??' LOL!!
Well, I only got a 7 day ban and £200 fine after speaking to the magisrates and representing myself. Not to bad considering..could have been a lot worse..
Laters..
EVO6RSS..
You just described my visit to court in April 2002. Same 'crime', 104 in a 70 clear early morning little traffic.
I got 21 day ban £300 fine and felt very very over dressed in my suit.
I got the impression that combining the court waiting room and the local benefit office would have saved having to run both locations.
I was accused of 101mph on the Motorway. The police officer claimed my car was black - which it wasn't. I thought it would be worth defending as I knew I hadn't been doing the speed they claimed.
The wife and I turned up at Court and hoped to use the duty solicitor - no go, had to defend myself.
Police vehicle was parked at 90 degrees to flow of traffic (bonnet facing inside lane).
Police Co-driver could not admit under oath that unit had been calibrated that day (VASCAR).
Police used a pre-determined distance that relied on a shadow from a bridge to start and a point in front of their vehicle to finish (illegal – as the shadow from a fixed point moves during the day).
Motorway was quite busy, we were in the outside lane.
He claimed it was a black car.
We assumed that whichever car he thought he had seen; he had just driven along until he saw something suitable.
On questioning, the Police officer claimed that he had ‘identified’ our car number plate whilst we had passed in front of him.
Our car was blue (understandable mistake).
If we had done an average of 100mph+ over the distance, it stands to reason that our speed range was, say, 130-70, 120-80, 110-90, 105-95 or any similar combination.
Therefore, the Police officer was claiming to have read a number plate, over two lanes of quite heavy traffic, on a black car that was passing in front of him at over 100 miles an hour.
The magistrates said they could see my point and therefore asked if I would give an indication of the speed I was doing. I estimated this as 80mph (I was being honest!) and they fined me £40.00, and no points. They did however, ban me for a fortnight and I had to pay £60.00 costs. This, I considered lenient considering the charge – although still unjust as we should never have been there in the first place.
If I had been more ‘articulate’ or more practised in a situation like this, or had been able to afford legal representation, I could probably have proved beyond doubt that the Police were lying – or mistaken.
The wife and I turned up at Court and hoped to use the duty solicitor - no go, had to defend myself.
Police vehicle was parked at 90 degrees to flow of traffic (bonnet facing inside lane).
Police Co-driver could not admit under oath that unit had been calibrated that day (VASCAR).
Police used a pre-determined distance that relied on a shadow from a bridge to start and a point in front of their vehicle to finish (illegal – as the shadow from a fixed point moves during the day).
Motorway was quite busy, we were in the outside lane.
He claimed it was a black car.
We assumed that whichever car he thought he had seen; he had just driven along until he saw something suitable.
On questioning, the Police officer claimed that he had ‘identified’ our car number plate whilst we had passed in front of him.
Our car was blue (understandable mistake).
If we had done an average of 100mph+ over the distance, it stands to reason that our speed range was, say, 130-70, 120-80, 110-90, 105-95 or any similar combination.
Therefore, the Police officer was claiming to have read a number plate, over two lanes of quite heavy traffic, on a black car that was passing in front of him at over 100 miles an hour.
The magistrates said they could see my point and therefore asked if I would give an indication of the speed I was doing. I estimated this as 80mph (I was being honest!) and they fined me £40.00, and no points. They did however, ban me for a fortnight and I had to pay £60.00 costs. This, I considered lenient considering the charge – although still unjust as we should never have been there in the first place.
If I had been more ‘articulate’ or more practised in a situation like this, or had been able to afford legal representation, I could probably have proved beyond doubt that the Police were lying – or mistaken.
borg said:
Police vehicle was parked at 90 degrees to flow of traffic (bonnet facing inside lane).
Police Co-driver could not admit under oath that unit had been calibrated that day (VASCAR).
Police used a pre-determined distance that relied on a shadow from a bridge to start and a point in front of their vehicle to finish (illegal – as the shadow from a fixed point moves during the day).
Motorway was quite busy, we were in the outside lane.
He claimed it was a black car.
We assumed that whichever car he thought he had seen; he had just driven along until he saw something suitable.
On questioning, the Police officer claimed that he had ‘identified’ our car number plate whilst we had passed in front of him.
Our car was blue (understandable mistake).
If we had done an average of 100mph+ over the distance, it stands to reason that our speed range was, say, 130-70, 120-80, 110-90, 105-95 or any similar combination.
Therefore, the Police officer was claiming to have read a number plate, over two lanes of quite heavy traffic, on a black car that was passing in front of him at over 100 miles an hour.
The magistrates said they could see my point and therefore asked if I would give an indication of the speed I was doing. I estimated this as 80mph (I was being honest!) and they fined me £40.00, and no points. They did however, ban me for a fortnight and I had to pay £60.00 costs. This, I considered lenient considering the charge – although still unjust as we should never have been there in the first place.
If I had been more ‘articulate’ or more practised in a situation like this, or had been able to afford legal representation, I could probably have proved beyond doubt that the Police were lying – or mistaken.
Interesting post but i would like to point out the following-
1)The Position of the Police vehicle is imaterial as long as he can see the traffic flow
2)Vascar/Police Pilot only needs calibrating every 7 days. If its 1minute after the previous 7 days that it was calibrated, the machine switches off and cannot be used until its recalibrated.
Its only down to very good practice that some peole calibrate it every day, but its certainly not needed.
3)The premeasured distance using a shadow of a bridge cannot be relied up on for longer than 5/10 mins because obviously the shadow will move.
Theres nothing wrong with doing a few checks over a few mins at all and it cetainly isnt illegal.
4)If you are sitting by the side of the road you can, from experience read an index (or most of it) and theres no problem with identifying a vehicle, especially if its in sight.
5) From experience and especially in the dark, we dont, or should i say tie purselves down to colours. Dark or light will do. The more info of that standard that you put into it then the more chance they have got of discrediting your evidence.
All in all it sounds like you had a good result and a Police Officer that cant write evidence/ or the fact that he is new to the job.
'Its not big and its not clever'EVO6RSS,
Sounds just like my trip to Reading Magistrates. Only person in a suit, infact one motor cyclist turned up in full leathers with his helmet - I thought you weren't supposed to drive to court incase of a ban?
The doors opened 30 minutes late that morning and I didn't feel at all safe waiting outside with the other criminals. Receiving funny looks from the unsavouries with their baseball caps half off and twisted to the side, and their boxers hanging out of their ripped jeans!
That was enough to teach me a lesson, let alone the ban.
Sounds just like my trip to Reading Magistrates. Only person in a suit, infact one motor cyclist turned up in full leathers with his helmet - I thought you weren't supposed to drive to court incase of a ban?
The doors opened 30 minutes late that morning and I didn't feel at all safe waiting outside with the other criminals. Receiving funny looks from the unsavouries with their baseball caps half off and twisted to the side, and their boxers hanging out of their ripped jeans!
That was enough to teach me a lesson, let alone the ban.
Tonyrec,Knowley,
After seeing some of the scrotes that had turned up, I actually feel rather sorry for the BIB..
Comments like, that copper has got it in for me.. Got it in for u.. You feckin retard, the trafpol who arrested u this time for being 4 times over the Drink Drive limit after crashing into your neighbers car only did so cause:
1. you were stupid enough to get tanked up down the pub and drive home..
2. upon getting home undetected u thought u would cement your entry into the darwin awards by crashing into your neighbers car. U are by anyones standards a stupid tw@t.
3. U were caught for drink driving before??? U did it again??? you were caught by the same copper??? funny that they usually have an area they work in for a while. Hopefully after being arrested this time U put up a bit of a struggle and the BIB introduced u to the trunchen of justice down in the cells.. Sore rear end in the morning sir, must have fallen onto a trunchen whilst drunk, happens all the time..
On a more serious note, u guys must have the patiance of a saints to deal with these people. I would just take them outside and shoot them..
Laters..
EVO6RSS.
Laters..
EVO6RSS.
After seeing some of the scrotes that had turned up, I actually feel rather sorry for the BIB..
Comments like, that copper has got it in for me.. Got it in for u.. You feckin retard, the trafpol who arrested u this time for being 4 times over the Drink Drive limit after crashing into your neighbers car only did so cause:
1. you were stupid enough to get tanked up down the pub and drive home..
2. upon getting home undetected u thought u would cement your entry into the darwin awards by crashing into your neighbers car. U are by anyones standards a stupid tw@t.
3. U were caught for drink driving before??? U did it again??? you were caught by the same copper??? funny that they usually have an area they work in for a while. Hopefully after being arrested this time U put up a bit of a struggle and the BIB introduced u to the trunchen of justice down in the cells.. Sore rear end in the morning sir, must have fallen onto a trunchen whilst drunk, happens all the time..
On a more serious note, u guys must have the patiance of a saints to deal with these people. I would just take them outside and shoot them..
Laters..
EVO6RSS.
Laters..
EVO6RSS.
Its the same when ever I've been to court. There you are bricking it thinking fingers crossed and we'll keep the licence, etc and yet some of these guys couldn't care less - like they are hardened to it all!
I guess if you deal with this type of person all day every day you end up thinking the worse of everyone!?
I guess if you deal with this type of person all day every day you end up thinking the worse of everyone!?
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