Borrowed a friends rail card

[alfiejthomas]

Would be great to get your advice....

 

Last Friday I travelled from London to Leeds with east coast.

 

 

I used my friends 16-25 rail card, and

 

 

an inspector realised the rail card was not mine and prosecuted me on the train.

 

 

I am yet to hear back from them,

however after speaking to friends and reading online about the severity of the situation,

I would really like to prepare a good defence .

 

Why I used his rail card?

 

I used my friends railcard because my wallet was stolen the week before with my rail card in it.

I had a busy few weeks working late shifts as a waiter and did not remember to buy a new one until the day of travel.

 

 

When I checked my bank balance I did not have enough money to pay for a rail card.

I thought I would take a risk and use his. Very stupid of me, and now I have to deal with the consequences.

 

I have recently graduated from University and do not want a criminal record.

I have worked incredibly hard to get to where I am today.

This is the first offence I have committed.

I hope to embark on a career in accountancy and

 

 

I know a criminal record will make it difficult for me to get a job.

 

Thank you!

[dx100uk]

await the letter and grovel

 

 

read a few threads here in the transport forum

where I've moved your thread too.

 

 

dx

[BazzaS]

Would be great to get your advice....

 

Last Friday I travelled from London to Leeds with east coast.

 

 

I used my friends 16-25 rail card, and

 

 

an inspector realised the rail card was not mine and prosecuted me on the train.

 

 

I am yet to hear back from them,

however after speaking to friends and reading online about the severity of the situation,

I would really like to prepare a good defence .

 

Why I used his rail card?

 

I used my friends railcard because my wallet was stolen the week before with my rail card in it.

I had a busy few weeks working late shifts as a waiter and did not remember to buy a new one until the day of travel.

 

 

When I checked my bank balance I did not have enough money to pay for a rail card.

I thought I would take a risk and use his. Very stupid of me, and now I have to deal with the consequences.

 

I have recently graduated from University and do not want a criminal record.

I have worked incredibly hard to get to where I am today.

This is the first offence I have committed.

I hope to embark on a career in accountancy and

 

 

I know a criminal record will make it difficult for me to get a job.

 

Thank you!

 

I agree with dx : await the letter so:

a) you have their reference number (else any letter you send may not be easily attached to your file)

b) in case the paperwork for your case never makes it to the prosecution's office or by an admin error they don't proceed with it.

 

Just a few notes, though;

 

1) "an inspector realised the rail card was not mine and prosecuted me on the train. "

The inspector likely interviewed / questioned you.

The TOC may yet prosecute you.

 

2) "I used my friends railcard because my wallet was stolen the week before with my rail card in it.

I had a busy few weeks working late shifts as a waiter and did not remember to buy a new one until the day of travel. "

 

Did you report the theft of your wallet & get a crime reference number from the police?

This would have allowed you a free replacement railcard.

 

http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/help/faqs/refunds-replacements/

 

3) you know you have been daft. You accept that you knowingly "would take a risk and use his" ; however it is an act of dishonesty so simply claiming "I want to be an accountant and a criminal record would stop that" is unlikely to be persuasive on its own - can you try to emphasise that you know it was wrong so that the effect of prosecuting you isnt wholly unjustified but wouldn't be COMPLETELY proportionate in its effect on your future career?

 

I don't work in prosecutions (nor even on the railways)

Part of me wonders how the prosecution's team view such pleas of "prosecution would affect me badly".

I wonder why people who it wouldn't affect their eDBS or visa / immigration status shouldn't have access to "it'll affect my prospects" while those who can claim such might perhaps have more reason to ensure they don't deliberately evade their fare.

It just seems stacked against those with "less to lose"?

 

NB : this won't stop me advising those with more to lose or less to lose, but is a general observation that I wonder how the Prosecution's team view.

[alfiejthomas]

Thanks for this guys.

 

The inspector did interview me and asked me questions. I was honest and told the truth, which probably gives them enough evidence to prosecute me if I was taken to court.

 

I did not report the wallet lost stolen until yesterday. I now have crime reference number, but I doubt this will help?

 

I have found the receipt for my 16-25 rail card which I will send to them when I get the letter. I bought train ticket on the premise that I would have my own rail card with me at the time.

 

Technically I am guilty. HOPEFULLY this will stay out of the court?

 

This is my first offence and I have been using east coast for three years. I have given them a lot of business.

 

Will let you know when I receive the letter.

 

Any more advice would be great.

 

Thanks again.

 

Top forum!

 

Alfie

Edited November 4, 2014 by alfiejthomas