1. I don’t see your mitigation as having much effect. Sentencing for speeding is very prescriptive and there is very little that will influence the sentence to any significant degree.
This was an incredibly high stress situation…
Indeed, it was, and almost certainly where a court might ask whether you should have been driving at all. Of course you will argue that you had little choice and that may well be true. But to attempt to mitigate what is quite a serious speeding offence because you were driving under stress is unlikely to gain much ground. Far better, I would suggest, if you really want to say anything at all, to simply admit to a momentary lapse of concentration.
2. Fines are based on multiples of weekly income. You need to estimate your weekly income as best you can. You should note that if you provide what the Court believes is an unrealistically low level, they can make such assumptions about your income as they see fit when setting your fine.
3. Debts and outgoings will not normally be taken into consideration when assessing the fine. They will, however, be considered if you ask for time to pay or to settle by way of weekly or monthly payments. The court will expect you to clear the amount within a maximum of 12 months.
