Sentence and Report!!

[sootywooty]

Hi! I was found guilty yesterday of benifit fraud, i failed to declare a change in my savings and amounted in £5000 overpayment. This was due mainly to me being a full time carer at home, and the social services said they would take the home if mom needed to go into care, which i have since been told i should never have been given this info, and the heads of social services are doing a full investigation, it has lasted 3 mths so far.

 

Also i have to go back to the court for a sentence and report, they advised me to get legal advise on this matter, i dont know what this report involves, also is this a time for myself to put any mitigation forward about the savings were mainly for moms care and the pressure put on me by the social services.

 

Thank for any Help!!

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh dear, I wish you well but you really need some expert help with this and I would urge you to do so without haste.

 

Good luck.

[gizmo111]

Who is doing the report? Presumably Probation?

[sootywooty]

Thanks for the replies!! i dont know the magistrate just read out at the end of the trial, i will need to return in one week for a report doing on me and a sentence.

 

Then she said it is best to get legal advise on this to find out how to conduct yourself.

[gizmo111]

Usually you are allocated a probation officer who will write a pre sentence report, through interviewing you and any other agencies you may be involved in, the PSR will have the probation officers sentencing recommdations and will go to the magistrate, to be considered before setencing.

Have you a solicitor?

[sootywooty]

Thanks Again!! no i dont have a solicitor but i understand i get a copy and if i dont agree with any parts i can take or show it to one, is that right.

[gizmo111]

Yes you do get a copy but the probation oficer will go through it with you, and most likely tell you what they are going to recomenend in the way of sentencing, before they even write it.

I would ring the court on Monday and ask if you were supposed to report to probation after the hearing, for the report to be written.

A solicitor cannot change what's in the report if it is factually correct, but if you thought the sentence recommended was too harsh, then as always he would represent your corner in getting it reduced or altered.

[sootywooty]

Thank You!! Gizmo111! You have been very helpful to me, i wish You All the best.

[patdavies]

I think that you will find that it is a pre-sentencing report, not sentence and report.