KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
What happens if I commit many offences in quick succession?
This is a question we are asked more and more as time goes on. Ten years ago it was quite rare to speak to somebody who,
offences within the same week. These days however we speak with multiple people every day who are in that exact situation.
You can always ask the police to have some discretion and drop two or three of the offences to remove the risk of disqualification. But there is no guarantee they will agree, and if they don’t, your only options would be to complete the speed awareness course on one of them, to accept a couple of fixed penalties to leave you up to 11 points, and then take any remaining to court, as they are the ones that are going to put you at risk of disqualification.
One point to note however is that if two of the offences were committed in very quick succession, these could be considered as one offence. If for example you were caught by two cameras just a minute apart on the same road in the same direction, there is a legal argument to be had that this was one offence of speeding simply recorded by two cameras, and therefore there should only be one sentence.
These can however be complex legal arguments, so before taking a case to court and arguing it yourself, we would strongly suggest obtaining legal advice.
How do I take a case to court?
If the speed is too quick for a fixed penalty or if you have 9 points already, the case will automatically proceed to court after you have nominated the driver. There is nothing you can do to stop that from happening.
If you have been offered a fixed penalty/speed awareness course, you will have a choice to reject the offer and take the case to court of your own volition.
There are a number of reasons why you might want to take a case to court – for example if you have a defence to put forward such as a medical emergency or if there were two offences committed in quick succession as mentioned above – but before you do, always seek legal advice.
By taking a case to Court, you could be putting yourself at risk of more penalty points, disqualifications and higher financial penalties.
PHTM NOVEMBER 2025 for example, committed 6 or 7
What if the case proceeds to court? Firstly, the sentence will be different. Courts have different thresholds from the police and instead will sentence based on the table below:
N.B. certain speeds, e.g. 41mph in a 30 limit, will see the police offer you a fixed penalty/speed awareness course if you’re eligible; Yet at court, you’re at risk of 4-6 points, much higher fines and even disqualification.
If the case does go to court, seek legal advice urgently. There are deadlines within which a driver must respond, and failure to do so can result in a sentence in your absence of a fine, points or disqualification.
Every case is dealt with on its own facts, for example:
l Where a speed is too quick for a fixed penalty, there could be a way of dealing with the matter in a behind closed doors sentence hearing called the single justice procedure.
l If the case has gone to court because you have 12 or more points, there’s a chance of avoiding dis- qualification by persuading the magistrates that a ban would cause exceptional hardship. That requires the driver to request a hearing to attend in person.
l If however, you’ve chosen to take the case to court because you want to challenge it, there will be the opportunity to enter a not guilty plea and have a trial.
l But in certain circumstances, you might want to enter a guilty plea and argue a ‘special reason’, in cases where, say, you were speeding but only for a medical emergency.
Finally, Magistrates’ Court proceedings are complex and even if you decide not to instruct a lawyer to help you, it is always sensible to seek legal advice first.
If you need any advice on motoring matters, please email
advice@pattersonlaw.co.uk or call us on 01626 359800 for free legal advice.
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