Court Today...

[Smowball]

So, we arrived at 9 am. He changed plea from not guilty, to guilty with mitigating circumstances as that avoided a trial, and for his ex having to do a video link testimony. Prosecution made him sound like Jack the Ripper, his own solicitor was lovely. After 5 hours they decided they wanted to check his probation history, and a woman appeared with a report which said he'd missed a meeting- just not turned up! He said that wasn't true- he'd spoken to his probation officer and said he was bailed to mine which was hours and hours away and rearranged it. Which is true as this guy phoned me to confirm. Court didn't know who to believe so rang probation office - guy wasn't in. So they decided to adjourn whole case till October and move it to another court!

[Old_Geezer]

Geeze, what a palava.
Sorry to hear.

[albaqwerty]

oh, for crying out loud.!!
just when you hope the whole thing is going to get sorted, it ends up getting dragged out.
Am so sorry for your boy Smow (and for you and othe family members) xxxx

[murraymints]

:0( xx

[Mamyalynne]

Strung up on small technicalities, it must cost a fortune as well as all the added anxiety.

[Smowball]

I just couldn't believe it. Almost 5 hrs drive there. All that wait.......

[theferryman]

Maybe his late change of plea is to blame for the delay in proceedings. I thought you either plead guilty or not guilty, that's it. Mitigation is raised before the judge decides sentence. Some people give so much "mitigation" that the judge has no option other than to rule that they have in fact pleaded "not guilty".

[marval]

Sorry to hear this Smow.

[Smowball]

Thanks marval. (And everyone else). Son says it gives him another 6 weeks to work and put some money away. He told court today he wants to pay compensation even though they will order that anyway.

[Cloverjo]

Oh, what a nightmare. More worry. Surely they should have notes on what the probation guy thought. He wasn't in; why wasn't he in, and why didn't they get him on his mobile?

I hope your boy is holding up ok - and you, smow.

[anneasquith]

I'm curious why your son waited until " the last minute" to change his plea to guilty ?

[Smowball]

Because his solicitor said that it would just help, simple as that. Courts and the like are alien to me....

[Lie-in King]

Good grief - to paraphrase, the mills of bureaucracy grind small & oh, so slowly.

Best I can offer are my best wishes to your son & to you, ((Smow)).

[Smowball]

Thanks guys. He's ok. He had just psyched himself up so much that it would be over with either way- prison or released, and now it's still hanging over him.