Welcome to the forum!
What happened is not exactly clear to me. From what I can work out:
You made a journey from Brighton to Wandsworth Town
You held tickets from Brighton to East Croydon and Clapham Junction to Wandsworth Town
This means you had no ticket for the journey between East Croydon and Clapham Junction
Where were you stopped? If it was at Wandsworth Town station presenting a ticket from Clapham Junction to Wandsworth Town would not be suspicious at all.
Or is there something more that you haven't told us? Like upon arrival at Wandsworth Town you purchased a ticket from Clapham Junction to Wandsworth Town on the Trainline app to exit the station (I use this station frequently and the ticket barriers are often left open) and staff realised you had only just purchased this ticket.
As for what will happen next the train company will send you a letter which will typically take a few weeks to arrive. It could be sooner but shouldn't take longer than six months. The letter will say that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:
- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter
Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. Most train companies are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) for people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and they could decide to prosecute you in the magistrates court if they wanted to, although this is unlikely to happen if you haven't come to their attention before.
Be aware that the train company will be able to research you online ticket purchasing history and you shoudl be careful how you reply to their letter. You should answer their questions truthfully but you are not required to incriminate yourself either.
If you are offered a settlement the amount tend to be around £100 plus the outstanding fare. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.
Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal details redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.
