Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Speeding and other criminal offences => Topic started by: yek on March 19, 2026, 10:35:14 am
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The clean answer is this: if his aim is the usual court-door resolution, he should not do a split plea online. He should respond within the 21-day limit by pleading not guilty to both charges, which gets the case out of the single justice paper process and into open court. GOV.UK says a not guilty response under the SJP means the case goes to court, and the Criminal Procedure Rules treat a not guilty response as a notice requiring listing, whereas written representations and mitigation are tied to a guilty response.
I would not use the online comments box to run the facts. Keep it tight. If the portal allows a note and he feels he must put something, I would keep it to no more than: "I request that this matter be listed for hearing." I would not put in a mini witness statement, and I would not hand the prosecution an online admission that he was the driver. That is just doing their job for them.
Then, when the matter is listed, he attends and speaks to the prosecutor before the case is called on. That is the point at which he can say he is prepared to plead guilty to the speeding if the section 172 count is withdrawn. That preserves his room to manoeuvre. Doing "guilty to speeding / not guilty to s172" online is the risky version because it can leave the speeding effectively conceded while the s172 is still alive. That is how people step on the rake.
The reason this matters is obvious enough. Speeding is the smaller problem. The ordinary minimum penalty for speeding is £100 and 3 points, whereas failing to give driver information under section 172 carries 6 points and a level 3 fine. The Sentencing Council also identifies section 172 as a 6-point offence.
So the practical answer to his questions is: yes, not guilty to both if the object is to force a hearing and try to resolve it properly in court; no, do not put detailed mitigation in the online box; and no, do not leave the response blank or miss the deadline. Respond in time, get it listed, and deal with the prosecutor in person on the day.
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Standard practice these days is to plead not guilty to both offences and in the 'reasons for not guilty' box write that you would be willing to amend your plea for the speeding charge to guilty if the S.172 offence is dropped.
It used to be a necessity to attend court to facilitate this sort of deal, but we hear more often than not these days it is being performed at SJPN stage. If they don't accept the online plea then it will proceed to court where traditional methods can be used.
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Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to get some advice on how to correctly fill out my SJP online response. I've been hit with a dual charge (Speeding and S172 Failure to Furnish) because of a missing letter.
Here is the timeline of what happened:
06/10/2025: Underlying speeding offence (35mph in a 30mph zone in Leeds).
The original NIP went to my wife. She filled it out and returned it, naming me as the driver.
I then waited for my own NIP/S172 request, but it genuinely never arrived in the post. Police obviously didn't get a reply from me.
10/03/2026: SJP Notice issued to me with both charges.
The Charges on the SJP:
Offence 1: S172 (Fail to give information relating to the identification of the driver) - Offence date 04/12/2025.
Offence 2: Speeding (35 in a 30) - Offence date 06/10/2025.
My Goal:
I was the driver, and I am completely willing to accept the 3 points and fine for the 35 in a 30. However, I want to avoid the 6 points for the S172, as I honestly never received the letter.
I've been reading up and understand that doing a "split plea" online (ticking Guilty for Speeding and Not Guilty for S172) is a trap that could result in me getting convicted of both and receiving 9 points. I want to do the standard "plea bargain" at court (offer to plead Guilty to the speeding if the prosecutor drops the S172).
My Questions:
To execute this plea deal at court, exactly how should I respond to the SJP online right now? Do I plead "Not Guilty" to BOTH offences to force a court hearing?
Is there a specific box I need to tick or a statement I should include in the mitigation/comments box online, or do I just leave it blank and wait for the court date?
Thanks in advance for your help!