Got caught child's oyster card +60 uses - now SJPN

[SusMeist3r]

I see no choice but to plead guilty and be honest

[dx100uk]

oh you'll get hammered for every individual use + surcharges for each if you don't.

just follow what i said - understood?

[Grotesque]

4 minutes ago, dx100uk said:

but i dont think your present version does that job at all.

dx

It certainly does not. In fact, the OP's present approach, while refreshing, is manna from heaven to any prosecutions team...

You need to avoid

a) Blaming TfL for issuing tickets to five-year-olds;

b) Blaming a 68 x lapse of judgement;

c) Blaming your job;

d) Blaming getting caught;

e) Blaming your immaturity. It will not help, and they may suspect this already.

Do:

a) Be honest

b) That's it.

 

It's still worth writing a letter, perhaps more than one, but honestly, you need to avoid telling them everything you've told us.  Respectful, understanding, apologetic - no need to debase yourself - and fundamentally believable. Good luck!

[honeybee13]

But post the letter here and we'll try to help. Please write it yourself, in British English and be sincere and apologetic if you can.

HB

[BazzaS]

Doesn’t look like SJPN (single JP, heard ‘on the papers’). Looks like an in-person summons to Lavender Hill.

Plus side of this : can try appealing to the prosecutor on the day, before the case.

Downside: any such appeal will fall on deaf ears, if the OP continues as they have so far.

[SusMeist3r]

I refined it to be more honest and less blaming on external factors

 

I deeply regret that my behaviour has led me to presenting a 5-10 Zip card with the intention to use it for travel on 2/11/24

I want to provide some honest context for why what I thought at the time was the right thing to do was absolutely not, though I understand that this does not excuse it in any way.  I assure you that this incident is not in any way reflective of my character or attitude towards authority. On that day, I didn’t have enough money on my debit card to pay for my work-related travel, therefore I made many foolish decisions there and before, wrongly believing I was saving money with free travel to benefit my situation. I admit that I know what I did was wrong even before I got caught red handed by your officers that day.

I’m going to pay the full amount of the fare, along with any associated fines, and plead with you for the chance to settle this matter out of court. I’ve been paying with Contactless only for transport since to ensure that behaviour like this will never happen again in the future.

I’m unemployed at the moment and also have existing student debt from when I left The University of Leeds back during my course in 2022 that I’m trying to pay off. I’m still trying to find my way in life and receiving a criminal conviction scares me that many doors would be closed to me in the future. I don’t want my past ignorant decisions to be associated with who I am today.

I am sincerley sorry for the damage my actions have caused and the time you have taken towards this. I hope that you will consider my apology and take into account my commitment to making this better.

[honeybee13]

I think that's an improvement, see what the guys think.

I’m going to pay the full amount of the fare. I'm not sure what you're trying to say here but personally I wouldn't be telling them what to do.

HB

[Nicky Boy]

12 minutes ago, SusMeist3r said:

also have existing student debt from when I left The University of Leeds

If this was a student loan, as far as I know the debt is repaid by way of an uplift in tax when you reach a certain income level... Not repayable like a regular loan from a financial institution.

If they know this, it may well be seen as making stuff up, seeking sympathy.

[Grotesque]

True, but they'd have to know what tax bracket he was in to know whether he was paying it off?

[Nicky Boy]

If he's in a high enough tax bracket to be paying it off, he certainly can't claim poverty and should be paying his way on TFL!

[SusMeist3r]

The truth is I've been unemployed for a long time and I struggle finding long-term jobs so I'm not in the upper tax bracket at the moment

I don't think me saying to them I'm going to pay the fare + fines is in anyway me telling them what to do

I see what you mean by full amount though now I'll be sure to rephrase it

 

[dx100uk]

35 minutes ago, SusMeist3r said:

I don't think me saying to them I'm going to pay the fare + fines is in anyway me telling them what to do

simply use the term 'out of court settlement for the full amount of the SJPN' (enclosed)

 

[SusMeist3r]

I deeply regret that my behaviour has led me to presenting a 5-10 Zip card with the intention to use it for travel on 2/11/24

I want to provide some honest context for why what I thought at the time was the right thing to do was absolutely not, though I understand that this does not excuse it in any way. 

I assure you that this incident is not in any way reflective of my character or attitude towards authority.

On that day, I didn’t have enough money on my debit card to pay for my work-related travel, therefore I made many foolish decisions there and before, wrongly believing I was saving money with free travel to benefit my situation.

I admit that I know what I did was wrong even before I got caught red handed by your officers that day.

I plead with you for the chance for an out of court settlement for the full amount of the SJPN. I’ve been paying with Contactless only for transport since to ensure that behaviour like this will never happen again in the future.

I’m unemployed at the moment and also have existing student debt from when I left The University of Leeds back during my course in 2022 that I’m trying to pay off. I’m still trying to find my way in life and receiving a criminal conviction scares me that many doors would be closed to me in the future. I don’t want my past ignorant decisions to be associated with who I am today.

I am sincerely sorry for the damage my actions have caused and the time you have taken towards this. I hope that you will consider my apology and take into account my commitment to making this better.

..........................

I also signed off on pleading guilty and signed all the 68 other journeys made, so I should attach the guilty plea as well with the apology?

 

[honeybee13]

Does the court form tell you where to return it to?

Your appeal letter needs to go to TfL, whoever wrote to you last. See what the others think about whether you enclose a copy of your plea to the court.

HB

[SusMeist3r]

I was going to ask where I send it to, Is it the prosecutor on the form/attorney?

[honeybee13]

What does the court form/paperwork say about sending it back? I would have thought there would be instructions.

HB

[SusMeist3r]

It says the forms must be returned to the court address

[SusMeist3r]

Another question is I have no idea how to fill out the financial statement of assets since I'm unemployed at the moment ( I've only been employed 2 weeks this year so far because I was terminated) 

Income details are hard to wrap my head around since they ask for Net Income and Capital which always changes 

[dx100uk]

with your new begging letter to TfL, to be sent via their email address, simply attach a PDF copy of your court guilty plea .

a full copy of your 68 TIC sheet and your guilty plea needs to be returned to the COURT.

you do not send any begging letters to the COURT.

dx

 

[honeybee13]

6 minutes ago, SusMeist3r said:

It says the forms must be returned to the court address

There you go, that's what you need to do.

But your begging letter goes to the person at TfL.

HB

[honeybee13]

4 minutes ago, SusMeist3r said:

Another question is I have no idea how to fill out the financial statement of assets since I'm unemployed at the moment ( I've only been employed 2 weeks this year so far because I was terminated) 

Income details are hard to wrap my head around since they ask for Net Income and Capital which always changes 

Are they asking for your income per month, in the last 12 months or something else?

HB

[BazzaS]

I see you are still saying “SJPN” but it is no longer a SJPN if you are having to appear in court.

If (& I suspect it is unlikely) they offer you an out of court settlement, then you'd have to pay it upfront, in one go (no payment plans!) : You are saying you are currently unemployed, and even when working were skint enough to fare dodge, so they might think “how is he going to pay?”

An advantage of going to court : the court takes a defendants ability to pay into any payment plan if found guilty : the disadvantage being the criminal record, of course.

 

Edited February 22 by BazzaS

[SusMeist3r]

It asks to tick a box wehether the income figures are weekly/fortnightly/monthly but I can't give an average aproximation on that unless I take the income in the entire tax year and divide it by 12 

Also It doesn't display any email addresses on the letter, is it [email protected]?

where I Originally had to email my response to the first verification letter?

[honeybee13]

I don't remember anyone having a problem with the I&E form but I would say you add up your income for the last 12 months, less tax if any, and do the maths as you say.

I'd have thought the email address should be fine. Make sure you put their case reference number in the email title. Let dx and Bazza have a look first though.

HB

[SusMeist3r]

No problem so Email the apology letter to IAP, Include my name and case number along with a copy of my I plead guilty declaration page