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FightBack Forums > Queries > Speeding and other Criminal Offences
Frz1
This is my first post so I’m sorry if it’s a little long.
During the summer I was driving to Edinburgh airport in my mum’s car, I was pulled over at the entrance to the airport car park by two officers who didn’t have a car and were dong “routine checks”. They checked my car, insurance and MOT and first thought I had no insurance, however I was a named driver and they then confirmed this. Then only one officer was with me and the other was dealing with another car. The officer with me then started nit picking and started checking tyres and other parts. Eventually he came up to me and said I had committed 2 offences, 1 driving with illegal front plates, 2 driving with illegal rear plates. I didn’t understand this as the number plates were perfectly fine, all spacing, characters and sizes were correct and the only thing was that they were in 3D font. I told him it was perfectly legal but he dismissed me. I argued for a bit and then just took it as the passengers were getting late for a flight and thought I would be able to deal with it later. Once I had seen off the passengers I went back but the same officers were gone so I spoke to 2 other officers who told me to write to the address on the ticket.
Later I check this and phoned fife police and Halfords who sell these and everyone said these were legal. I then wrote to Edinburgh police (who issued the ticket) explaining this. The replied saying they can’t do anything now and I had to wait until it went to the fiscal and they would forward my letter. I waited and the police didn’t forward my letter so I wrote another one for the fiscal. They replied saying that they have looked into the case and believe I have committed the offence “in relation to registration mark mainly in respect to spacing and height etc. This is appalling as the height and spacing were fine. The court has now sent me a letter asking me to plead guilty/not guilty with a date.
Finally I am wandering what I should do as I think I have been penalised for being a young (19) driver and don’t know what I should do. I don’t think they have any pictures of the plates at the time and on the DVLA website it says 3D plates can be used.
Pancras
Do the number plates have the name and postcode of the manufacturer, and the BS AU145d mark on them?

Are there any other graphics on the plate (for example football team crests, or vehicle manufacturer logo) other than a national identifier on the left hand side?
peterguk
AFAIK, 3D version of the Charles Wright font is allowed. But no carbon etc variations.
Logician
I suggest you check the height and spacing and if they are correct, then fill in the form to indicate a not guilty plea. This should result in a court date being fixed. Do not agree to accept a written statement from the officer. On the day, leave the car at home, off the road, take off the plates and go to court with them, a ruler and a copy of rules on number plates. Then you should be in a good position to challenge any suggestion that the plates were illegal.
Frz1
QUOTE (Pancras @ Wed, 17 Nov 2010 - 23:29) *
Do the number plates have the name and postcode of the manufacturer, and the BS AU145d mark on them?

Are there any other graphics on the plate (for example football team crests, or vehicle manufacturer logo) other than a national identifier on the left hand side?



i am not too sure i will have to check tomorrow
Pancras
QUOTE (Frz1 @ Thu, 18 Nov 2010 - 00:03) *
QUOTE (Pancras @ Wed, 17 Nov 2010 - 23:29) *
Do the number plates have the name and postcode of the manufacturer, and the BS AU145d mark on them?

Are there any other graphics on the plate (for example football team crests, or vehicle manufacturer logo) other than a national identifier on the left hand side?



i am not too sure i will have to check tomorrow

If they don't have that information on them, then they probably don't comply with the regulations, and as such any defence is less likely to succeed.
Frz1
QUOTE (Logician @ Wed, 17 Nov 2010 - 23:39) *
I suggest you check the height and spacing and if they are correct, then fill in the form to indicate a not guilty plea. This should result in a court date being fixed. Do not agree to accept a written statement from the officer. On the day, leave the car at home, off the road, take off the plates and go to court with them, a ruler and a copy of rules on number plates. Then you should be in a good position to challenge any suggestion that the plates were illegal.


i will definitely plead not guilty. however i might have to write to the court instead of going there as i am a student at university and i have an exam that day. this is an option but i would like to go but not sure if this would effect the case in any way. also what did you mean by not agreeing to accept a written statement from the officer. sorry i am not very knowledgeable in this area, i haven't been in trouble with the police before and have only passed my test over a year ago. i am thinking of legal aid but am not sure of how it works and requirements as i am a student staying at home with my parents.
also i got a little angry with the fine so i ripped the front plate off so i don't have that one but i might have the rear in the garage. i changed the plates that same day as i was told i can receive the fine again if another officer was to stop me.
thank you for your help.
Pancras
QUOTE (Frz1 @ Thu, 18 Nov 2010 - 00:11) *
QUOTE (Logician @ Wed, 17 Nov 2010 - 23:39) *
I suggest you check the height and spacing and if they are correct, then fill in the form to indicate a not guilty plea. This should result in a court date being fixed. Do not agree to accept a written statement from the officer. On the day, leave the car at home, off the road, take off the plates and go to court with them, a ruler and a copy of rules on number plates. Then you should be in a good position to challenge any suggestion that the plates were illegal.


i will definitely plead not guilty. however i might have to write to the court instead of going there as i am a student at university and i have an exam that day. this is an option but i would like to go but not sure if this would effect the case in any way. also what did you mean by not agreeing to accept a written statement from the officer. sorry i am not very knowledgeable in this area, i haven't been in trouble with the police before and have only passed my test over a year ago. i am thinking of legal aid but am not sure of how it works and requirements as i am a student staying at home with my parents.
thank you for your help.

If you plead not guilty but don't turn up at court, they will only rely on the evidence of the crown, and you will almost certainly be found guilty in your absence. If you are intent on pleading not guilty then you should ask the court for an adjournment due to your exam, because you will have to provide the number plates or a good colour photograph of them to persuade the bench that the evidence offered by the police is wrong.

First check that your number plate has the information on it as stated in my earlier post, and confirm that there are no other stickers (car logos, football team crests) etc or shadowing. If you are taking the plates as evidence, and they are found not to comply, you will get a bigger fine than if you plead guilty.
Logician
An exam scheduled for that day would be a good reason to ask for an adjournment. You should go to court, so that you can exhibit the plates and challenge the prosecution to point out the illegality.

Before the date for the trial, they send you the evidence the prosecution are relying on, and ask if you will simply accept it. Do not agree to accept the officer's statement, and he will then have to attend court where you can ask him what he claims is illegal about the plates.

Unfortunately traffic cases will very rarely meet the criteria for legal aid.

It is important to check that every aspect of the plates is legal, to some extent what is required depends on the age of the car, as you have no doubt seen having researched this.

The Rookie
If this is the first court date there will be no trial, your plea will be entered and the case adjourned and a trial date set.

Simon
roadrunner 163
Post a picture of the plates - or the one you still have. Remove a few letters from the image and we can see what were talking about.

spanner345
I was always under the impression that the police rules on plates were the same as the ministry rules. If so 3d plates are ok as long as the shades of colour to give the 3d effect could be taken as black.
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