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#Post#: 76860--------------------------------------------------
SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: DeanDeano
Date: June 17, 2025, 8:18 am
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Hi
Probably should have read some information on this site before
going ahead with my situation .
Anyway just seeing if this is the norm in this type of speeding
offence.
I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for speeding offence
captured on a fixed camera 35mph in a 30. Various factors meant
I was feeling particularly hard done by. I am not eligible for a
Speed awareness course, this was on Christmas Day and I was on
the way to hospital for a believed family emergency.
Therefore I requested a court appearance and after reading the
SJP paperwork I pleaded guilty/mitigation and submitted my
account detailing time after speeding offence that the family
member was seen by Doctor at A+E. Also stating I have written
evidence of this and Doctor who saw us.
A very quick turnaround to my online response.Result of court
case I have ended up with 3 points(expected) and then £231 fine
plus £90 costs and £92 victim surcharge.
So I have managed to turn what would have been 3 points and £100
into 3 points and £413 fine.Jackpot. :(
There is no rationale or explanation shown on the court letter
received. Does this outcome sound about right still? Not very
happy and looks an expensive lesson. The courts are not easy to
contact for any explanation .
Appreciate any opinions or Told you so responses either way.
#Post#: 76864--------------------------------------------------
Re: SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: andy_foster
Date: June 17, 2025, 8:28 am
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Sounds about right.
Fine is a multiple of your Relevant Weekly Income.
Don't expect SJ to expend much of his rubber stamping time on
giving consideration to mitigation.
The fact that a family member went to A+E is not in and of
itself relevant. If they were potentially about to shuffle off
their mortal coil, and you were rushing to see them, then that
might be mitigation - albeit that if you were only doing 35 on
pretty much deserted roads, you obviously weren't in that much
of a hurry.
#Post#: 76865--------------------------------------------------
Re: SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: 666
Date: June 17, 2025, 8:32 am
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The guideline fine for that speed and limit is 50% of your
relevant weekly income, with a range of 25% to 75%. The
surcharge is set at 40% of the fine.
Did you submit the form with your earnings? If not, the court
would use an assumed amount (c. £450 from memory).
The prosecution costs also follow the guideline for a guilty
plea.
So, nothing obviously wrong. Expensive lesson.
#Post#: 76870--------------------------------------------------
Re: SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: NewJudge
Date: June 17, 2025, 9:22 am
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If you quoted your weekly income at about £700 it is about
right. The fine would be £350 (half a week's net income) reduced
by a third for your guilty plea (so £233).
There is rarely anything that will mitigate a speeding offence
to any significant degree and certainly nothing that will see
the fine/costs/surcharge reduced to below the fixed penalty
level. As you can see, prosecution costs alone are almost that
sum.
#Post#: 76889--------------------------------------------------
Re: SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: DeanDeano
Date: June 17, 2025, 11:35 am
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Thanks for the replies.
Just out of interest if I had gone all the way to court "Not
guilty" what would have been my potential worse case scenario
costs wise if then found guilty?
My personal perception it seems there are guilty offenders
getting a lot less costs in comparison for much worse
driving/speeding offences.Maybe for another discussion!
Lesson learnt I will take the loss on this one. Well until the
wife reminds me about it again!
#Post#: 76903--------------------------------------------------
Re: SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: Southpaw82
Date: June 17, 2025, 12:47 pm
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IIRC, CPS costs start at about £600 following a trial.
#Post#: 76922--------------------------------------------------
Re: SJP Guilty Mitigation speeding outcome fine?
DIR By: NewJudge
Date: June 17, 2025, 4:42 pm
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--- Quote ---
> "...what would have been my potential worse case scenario
costs wise if then found guilty?"
--- End Quote ---
£350 fine; £140 "Victim Surcharge"; £620 costs = £1,110 + 3
points.
--- Quote ---
> My personal perception it seems there are guilty offenders
getting a lot less costs in comparison for much worse
driving/speeding offences.
--- End Quote ---
I'm unsure what you mean.
Fines are in "bands" according to the seriousness of the offence
(i.e the speed/limit for speeding offences) and calculated as a
multiple of weekly income.
Costs are generally £90=ish for an early guilty plea and
£620-ish for conviction following a trial. There are occasions
where sums other than that are claimed. For example, the
prosecution may ask for more than £90 where a guilty plea is
entered late and they have undertaken work to prepare for a
trial. They may also ask for more than £620 if they have to
enlist expert witnesses in the case of defences which challenge
the reliability of the technology used. But they are fairly rare
exceptions.
Of course the court always has the discretion to order a lower
amount than the costs claimed if it believes the defendant's
means warrant that discretion.
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