DaveNewcastle
Established Member
In terms of the verdict, no, I can't see that it will make any difference to the Court's finding of Guilt.
In terms of the sentence, then a half-decent solicitor should be able to find grounds to mitigate your sentence, depending on the details of your circumstances; this might affect the element of Fine which the Court imposes to a small degree. The Company will claim its costs too, and Magistrates can be unpredictable in awarding costs - but the deciding factors tend to be more their assessment of the justice of the Claimant's argument and how it is presented, and less about the defence, but there have been some spectacular surprises in decisions over the years.
In addition to the Fine and Costs, there will also be the fare due and Victim Surcharge. So in summary, no, there's not a lot of room for manoeuvre. But that's not to say that legal representation won't be to your advantage - just not by very much.
