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Hi guys, I’m a student in my early 20/ who was genuinely suffering with mental/financial distress during the time I got caught with the wrong ticket on a thameslink train from london to Brighton (I have evidence to back this up)
I am contact Govia in regards to this with my deepest apologies and ill judgment . I just wanted to know how bad are the implications of this if I can’t get an out of court settlement approved . I’m really worried about impact on my career as I’m literally just starting out and if there is any advice on what I could do ? I have been served with a single justice procedure notice , do I have to plead right away or can I try speak to thameslink first ?
Is the SJPN the first contact you have had? If not, can you post the first letter and your reply, taking care to hide any identifiable details, such as name address and reference number. Please similarly post the SJPN details.
It would also be helpful to know what you mean by “wrong ticket”. What exactly was wrong about it?
Hi John , thanks for responding . I don’t have the document with me atm but yes I did receive previous notification that I had only seen today at the same time as the SJPN as I’m between address (my fault ) they said I could pay for it before out of court within 14days as I’m first time offender but I’ve past the deadline a few days now. Also I had a 16-17 rail card rather than standard adult.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Is the SJPN the first contact you have had? If not, can you post the first letter and your reply, taking care to hide any identifiable details, such as name address and reference number. Please similarly post the SJPN details.
It would also be helpful to know what you mean by “wrong ticket”. What exactly was wrong about it?
Hi John , thanks for responding . I don’t have the document with me atm but yes I did receive previous notification that I had only seen today at the same time as the SJPN as I’m between address (my fault ) they said I could pay for it before out of court within 14days as I’m first time offender but I’ve past the deadline a few days now. Also I had a 16-17 rail card rather than standard adult.
I'm assuming when you say 'wrong ticket' you've been deliberately evading your fares. This is a criminal offence and GTR are entitled to send the case to the Magistrates Court if they want to.
GTR normally settle these sort of cases out of court. They normally write a letter to you asking for your version and if you co-operate with them they will normally offer a settlement. You've not really told us whether you received GTR's initial letter and, if you did, what did you say in response? If you don't reply, or they thiunk you're not really co-operating with them then they will send the case to court.
It might still be possible to obtain a settlement but you will need to work hard to obtain it. You'll need to write to them explaing what has happened, say you're sorry, what you've learned from the incident etc. Can you post a redacted copy of all the paper work (including anything you sent back to GTR) along with a draft letter to GTR and forum members will proof read it for you.
GTR will not discuss this over the phone with you.
Hi guys, I’m a student in my early 20/ who was genuinely suffering with mental/financial distress during the time I got caught with the wrong ticket on a thameslink train from london to Brighton (I have evidence to back this up)
I am contact Govia in regards to this with my deepest apologies and ill judgment . I just wanted to know how bad are the implications of this if I can’t get an out of court settlement approved . I’m really worried about impact on my career as I’m literally just starting out and if there is any advice on what I could do ? I have been served with a single justice procedure notice , do I have to plead right away or can I try speak to thameslink first ?
You can try to speak to Thameslink first, but it will help if you explain exactly what has happened do far, and in what way your ticket was “wrong” (a euphemism which can cover anything from being on the wrong train by accident to blatant short faring!). The forum can then advise what to say to them.
I'm assuming when you say 'wrong ticket' you've been deliberately evading your fares. This is a criminal offence and GTR are entitled to send the case to the Magistrates Court if they want to.
GTR normally settle these sort of cases out of court. They normally write a letter to you asking for your version and if you co-operate with them they will normally offer a settlement. You've not really told us whether you received GTR's initial letter and, if you did, what did you say in response? If you don't reply, or they thiunk you're not really co-operating with them then they will send the case to court.
It might still be possible to obtain a settlement but you will need to work hard to obtain it. You'll need to write to them explaing what has happened, say you're sorry, what you've learned from the incident etc. Can you post a redacted copy of all the paper work (including anything you sent back to GTR) along with a draft letter to GTR and forum members will proof read it for you.
GTR will not discuss this over the phone with you.
You can try to speak to Thameslink first, but it will help if you explain exactly what has happened do far, and in what way your ticket was “wrong” (a euphemism which can cover anything from being on the wrong train by accident to blatant short faring!). The forum can then advise what to say to them.
Hi John , thanks for responding . I don’t have the document with me atm but yes I did receive previous notification that I had only seen today at the same time as the SJPN as I’m between address (my fault ) they said I could pay for it before out of court within 14days as I’m first time offender but I’ve past the deadline a few days now. Also I had a 16-17 rail card rather than standard adult.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Hi John , thanks for responding . I don’t have the document with me atm but yes I did receive previous notification that I had only seen today at the same time as the SJPN as I’m between address (my fault ) they said I could pay for it before out of court within 14days as I’m first time offender but I’ve past the deadline a few days now. Also I had a 16-17 rail card rather than standard adult.
OK - so it looks like you were offered an out of court settlement, did not receive that in time or failed to act on it, missed the deadline and it has escalated to court and now you have received the SJPN from the court - is this correct?
You need to act fast now.
Basically you must not miss the deadline set by the court to return the SJPN paperwork - but I think you need to try to get the railway company to re-open the offer to allow you to pay the out of court settlement if they are prepared to agree to do that (the court will have no role in that negotiation) - so you should hold off sending back the SJPN for as long as you can but not miss the deadline. What is that deadline on the SJPN paperwork?
If that deadline is very soon, and you have not got the statement offer re-instated - I suspect there is the option of pleading 'Not Guilty' on the SJPN - the consequences of that would be that it would result in an in person trial which takes longer to arrange so would be further away in time - giving more time for you to try and get the settlement re-instated
There was case like this recently which was just resolved - I will find the thread for you to read as background as it will help you understand what to do and the options available to you.
This thread - read it to see the advice given - the circs around the person failing to pay a settlement offer in time are similar (even if the causes for that are a bit different)
I have been sent a SJPN to either plead guilty or not guilty for not having a valid ticket. Essentially I was rushing and thought I had tapped in at Bellingham station with my bank card before getting on to the train and was asked on the train by an inspector for my ticket at Denmark hill...
www.railforums.co.uk
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Hi guys, I’m a student in my early 20/ who was genuinely suffering with mental/financial distress during the time I got caught with the wrong ticket on a thameslink train from london to Brighton (I have evidence to back this up)
I am contact Govia in regards to this with my deepest apologies and ill judgment . I just wanted to know how bad are the implications of this if I can’t get an out of court settlement approved . I’m really worried about impact on my career as I’m literally just starting out and if there is any advice on what I could do ? I have been served with a single justice procedure notice , do I have to plead right away or can I try speak to thameslink first ?
as well as seeing any paperwork (blank out your personal info and any ref numbers on every page you share here) I think it would be helpful to see the timeline of this - perhaps you can set it out for each of these key dates:
1) - date you were stopped by ticket inspector if you remember it
2) - date you replied to them after you got the original letter
3) - date railway sent you out of court settlement offer (date on their letter)
4) - date that letter said you could pay a settlement by
5) - date you actually got that settlement offer letter (assume recently as you say you got it same time as the SJPN - presumably someone at your old address got in touch to say 'there are some important looking letters here for you'?)
6) - date SJPN paperwork was issued
7) - date you received SJPN paperwork
8) - date SJPN paperwork must be returned to court by
use the above numbers for clarity - if you don't know for any of them state 'do not know'
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