Used 11-15 Oyster card 134 times and now received court hearing date

[A108]

Hi 

I was caught using my brothers 11-15 oyster card on the bus a while back and received a letter to explain my side of things.

 

I just said it was an accident as it was in my card holder phone case along with my bank card. 
 

now I received a court hearing letter for May and they’re prosecuting me for this unpaid journey and they’re suspecting me of using the card for 2 months totalling 134 offences. 
 

I don’t want to go to court and get a criminal record as it will jeopardise my future career and I’m currently in uni. It was dumb of me to use the card but I had no money etc. 

 

I take full responsibility for paying the fine for the unpaid bus journey. But don’t know how to go about the 134 offences.

 

As I only work part time so I’m unsure how to request for an out of court settlement and what to say. 

 

 

[honeybee13]

Hello, welcome to CAG.

 

Could I ask if you made all the 134 journeys please?

 

Best, HB

[A108]

Hi, 

 

thank you and yes I did because I was struggling financially and had just started working. 

because I have money now that I work part time I pay for all my journeys. 

[dx100uk]

And there will be a good time/day pattern to these weekdays journeys over the 3/4? Months you used it for?

 

Can't be only for 2mts as not enough weekdays for 134 uses?

 

Was your brother still using it too?

 

Dx

 

 

[A108]

No my brother was not using the card I was to get to my new job at the time. I had no money for transport so I used his oyster.
so there is a pattern to the journeys and it is just about 2 months as it’s stated on the letter and journey history.  
 

if I plead guilty it’s for the bus journey and the 134 journeys they suspect me of committing. 

 

It’s 134 uses because I used to use the bus and train to get to work because of strikes etc. 

[dx100uk]

ok that explains it then.

 

you will have a very very hard job avoiding a criminal conviction ...sorry.

 

plenty of like threads here to read.

that will better inform you of your options.

 

but yes plead guilty

ask to attend so you can personally show your remorse to the judge IMHO.

 

sign the TIC? sheet for each of the other 133 journeys , and plead guilty to the one specimen offence. 

 

 

[A108]

Is there no possible way I can request an out of court settlement. 
 

do you see any possibility of them agreeing to one? 
 

as they don’t have physical proof that I committed those journeys besides the bus one. 

[honeybee13]

You can always ask, of course, about settling out of court.

 

Have a read of other threads here where people have settled on Oyster card cases. Post up what you're thinking of sending to TfL and we'll help you to refine it.

 

HB

[dx100uk]

there will be an obvious 'pattern' of use. they don't need physical evidence no.

its very rare for such a tally of journeys on a childs card to get an OOC.

but its worth trying.

 

dx

 

[dx100uk]

 

 

[A108]

Okay thank you for your help. 

[dx100uk]

what happened?

 

dx

 

[dx100uk]

and?