Need help from the PF legal team! This is the story from the top....

I was driving home monday, came to a junction which turned into a street with houses on one side and a dry stone wall on another, parked cars on the one side so in effect a single lane.

As I turned into the street a car the other side of the parked cars flashed me through, so not to hold the guy up I gave it some gas and carried on, about 100yds further on, a copper was in the middle of the road waving for me to pull over. So I pulled over and he starts giving me grief about driving like a cock. Fair enough, pointless trying to argue with the knob - hes already made up his mind!

So in the back of the car, fills in the usual producer and then says hes reporting me for driving without due care & attn. Pretty pissed to say the least but had no chance but to just nod and agree.

I received a generic letter friday telling me that im being prosocuted for dangerous driving and not due care & attn. So the bastard has gone and changed the 'charge'.

Now, from what I know, this is the scenario

1 - the exhaust is loudish and he heard that
2 - he didnt really have a clear view of my car
3 - he was on his own while another officer was getting his dinner from the kebab shop he was standing outside of at the time.
4 - he cautioned me in the back of the car for due care & attn and now its changed to dangerous driving.

Where do I stand, anyone know of any good solicitors in the Cardiff area?

Cheers

 

i would of drove past the copper

 

I did think about running him down but I didnt wanna damage the intercooler

 

i would go down the station,, as for the sargent and explain your points,, it wont hurt, and it wont go against you!

 

I am not an expert in law but suffice to say i have had my share of being arrested etc in my younger days. I have been in similar situations where you give the car a bit of gun and out of nowhere pops the bacon crew. Firstly never nod,gesture or agree with anything the pigs say, the least you say the better and try to keep it to a bare minimum ie: just whats required name address etc. it is hard for me to comment on your situation because i was not there but if you are being charged i would suggest you visit a solicitor at the earliest opportunity. not to worry you but speaking through experience if you go not guilty and go to court, if you get found guilty the penalty is worse than if you had put your hands up for it in the first place. someone told me once never go not guilty on driving offences but that was a pig so get yourself to a solicitor asap

C L

 

Did the copper see the other car that flashed you through?

If not can't you *find* him to testify on your behalf. I.e. he flashed you through and you were driving normally?

 

No chance of finding the geeza who let me through, it was on a shallow bend so he couldnt have a clear view of my car, thas why I say he could have only heard my car.

 

wasnt "i" the one who flashed you out

 

Cant see how finding the geezer could help anyway. In the eyes of the law should only flash as a warning. So as a gesture legally a flash means nothing.

 

Yea, it was - weren't you on the phone to me at the time, and told me about it?

 

It was more that that guy would say he was driving normally, as he was in a good position to see, not like the copper.

 

You haven't been charged with any offence. You have been reported. They can change the offence if they want. You have now been sent the notice of intended prosecution for Dangerous Driving.

Seems strange that you would be reported for dangerous driving if you just quote "gave it some gas". I think you need to be more specific in relation to exactly what happened. Traffic law isn't exactly my specialist area but I do know more than most and i'll help you out if I can.

 

It was the other drivers right of way, parked cars being on my side of the road. He flashed me through, so I accelerated prob to no more than 40-45 before slowing, came on boost so wasnt exactly quiet as you can imagine. Litterally as soon as I lifted I could see the copper standing in the road looking like a cock waiting for me.

An yea, charged is the wrong word, it is the intended prosecution. Spoke to a solicitor this morning and hes saying they need solid evidence to secure a dangerous driving offense and the cps will prob drop the charge to something less serious.... only going on what the guy is saying so might be bullshit for all I know?