Likely outcome for Careless driving and Section 4 Public Order offence

[Annie M.]

My son has been charged with driving without due care and attention (to which he has pleaded guilty) and Section 4 Public Order offence (threatening behaviour), to which he has pleaded not guilty, so the case has been adjourned for trial at the Magistrates' court (half a day)

If he is found guilty of this offence, what is the likely outcome of this and the careless driving guilty plea? He has no previous convictions, but he does have a caution for causing damage (a kick) to a car during an altercation with a driver who had cut him up and then flashed a rude gesture at him.

Many thanks for any help.

[stuart936]

I have recently, posted on here about public order act section 4, as I am on a 4 day trial for it, I am calling 14 witnesses and police are calling 5 officers. my circumstances are very many and all could go 50-50.

Section 4 carries a sentence of upto 6 months in prison however chances are slim if it is not a violent related crime.

Mine was violent, there were 40+ people brawling outside a pub.

[Buenchico]

Careless driving offences can result in anywhere between 3 and 9 points being added to a licence. See here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLic ensing/EndorsementsAndDisqualifications/DG_100 22425
(If a driver accumulates 6 points within 2 years of first passing their test, their licence is revoked and they have to re-apply for a provisional licence and re-take their driving test. Thereafter the normal rule applies whereby 12 points, all gained within 3 years, normally leads to disqualification).
In the majority of cases, the minimum 3 points are handed out.

Additionally, careless driving is likely to result in a fine. The size of this depends on the seriousness of the offence and the offender's ability to pay but it's likely to be in the range of �100 to �250. On top of that there will be court expenses of, perhaps, �60, and a �15 payment to the victim compensation scheme.

Threatening behaviour might either be dealt with by a fine (of, perhaps �100 to �250) or an order for punishment within the community (e.g. unpaid work), or possibly both. In respect of someone who has already displayed a tendency to aggression and is now before the court for threatening behaviour, it's possible that the court might order attendance at an anger management course. Such a course typically involves several initial one-to-one meetings with a probation officer followed by weekly group meetings (probably each 2 hours long and lasting for perhaps 12 weeks), followed by further one-to-one meetings.

Chris