Northern Rail evasion letter 15 yr old

[Linda B]

Hello. I've read quite a few threads on here and elsewhere regarding these letters, but I was just wondering about our specific circumstances.

My 15 year old daughter went camping one evening in August, and ended up further away from home than she expected (a long walk). She didn't take any money, consequently when she and her friends got the train home (one stop from Goostrey to Holmes Chapel), they were caught by the ticket inspector and their details taken. Now, a couple of months later, she has received a fare evasion letter threatening prosecution, which has worried us both immensely. She has never been in any sort of trouble before and is in the middle of GCSEs so we don't want this hanging over our heads.

I am fairly sure that, if she writes to them on the back of the form explaining the circumstances and that she is extremely sorry, and also that we will pay the fare plus costs, she will not be taken to court. However, I'm hoping that someone on this forum could reassure us about this!

[Old-CodJA]

Hello. I've read quite a few threads on here and elsewhere regarding these letters, but I was just wondering about our specific circumstances.

My 15 year old daughter went camping one evening in August, and ended up further away from home than she expected (a long walk). She didn't take any money, consequently when she and her friends got the train home (one stop from Goostrey to Holmes Chapel), they were caught by the ticket inspector and their details taken. Now, a couple of months later, she has received a fare evasion letter threatening prosecution, which has worried us both immensely. She has never been in any sort of trouble before and is in the middle of GCSEs so we don't want this hanging over our heads.

I am fairly sure that, if she writes to them on the back of the form explaining the circumstances and that she is extremely sorry, and also that we will pay the fare plus costs, she will not be taken to court. However, I'm hoping that someone on this forum could reassure us about this!

 

 

Yes, I would say that your suggested course of action will resolve this quite quickly.

 

Whilst for most TOCs there is no desire to prosecute juveniles, the age of criminal responsibility is 12 years, so it would be possible to put such a matter before a Youth Court.

 

That said, it is extremely unlikely that any TOC would wish to do so although it also has to be said that any person who does not have a ticket or means to pay has no right to travel on a train without formal permission being granted.

 

Write on behalf of your juvenile daughter and explain the circumstances, apologise for the error borne of youthful naievety, offer to pay the fare and the reasonable costs incurred by the TOC in collecting it and give an undertaking that the offence will not be repeated. Both you and your daughter should sign the letter and I'm sure that you will get a result that clears the matter up and gives the desired warning to your daughter.

Edited October 18, 2012 by Old-CodJA

[Linda B]

Many thanks for your reply , that's certainly put her mind at ease, although she is now fully aware of the error of her ways!

[firstclassx]

Yes, I would say that your suggested course of action will resolve this quite quickly.

 

Whilst for most TOCs there is no desire to prosecute juveniles, the age of criminal responsibility is 12 years, so it would be possible to put such a matter before a Youth Court.

 

That said, it is extremely unlikely that any TOC would wish to do so although it also has to be said that any person who does not have a ticket or means to pay has no right to travel on a train without formal permission being granted.

 

Write on behalf of your juvenile daughter and explain the circumstances, apologise for the error borne of youthful naievety, offer to pay the fare and the reasonable costs incurred by the TOC in collecting it and give an undertaking that the offence will not be repeated. Both you and your daughter should sign the letter and I'm sure that you will get a result that clears the matter up and gives the desired warning to your daughter.

 

I concur with this.

 

Unless she has been stopped previously, she will probably issued a reprimand letter by Northern Rail, along with a small admin charge around £10-£20.

 

Should she be stopped at any point in the future, she will find it difficult to avoid court.

[Old-CodJA]

I concur with this.

 

Unless she has been stopped previously, she will probably issued a reprimand letter by Northern Rail, along with a small admin charge around £10-£20.

 

Should she be stopped at any point in the future, she will find it difficult to avoid court.

 

 

Yes, there is in fact a guideline to remind all prosecutors that every effort should be made to deal with any relatively low-level first time offences committed by young persons (aged 12 - 17) outside of the Courts.

 

It is obviously only a guideline and really serious offences will always be put before the Courts, but this kind of matter will always fall in that area unless very persistent.

 

The system is designed to re-educate as much as it is to punish and re-education should always be the primary aim where young people are concerned.

[Linda B]

Thanks for your comments. Luckily this is the first (and only) time she's done this and it certainly wasn't with any intent to commit an offence. There are very rarely any ticket attendants or inspectors on our part of the line so she (naively) didn't even think twice about hopping on the train for one stop with no money (she hadn't even originally intended to get the train anyway!). She hates to get in trouble about anything so that's a lesson learned.