A client convicted of a series of driving offences has received a very lenient sentence following his appearance before Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.

The client, who was represented by Ziba Akarcay, was charged with driving without a licence and without insurance and failing to stop after an accident. The incident involved the client driving on the wrong side of the road and driving through red lights while being chased by police. He has lost control of his vehicle driving round a corner and then collided with stationary cars parked on the roadside. He was then chased by the police before being arrested when he tried to run away from the scene. The offence was made more serious by the fact he had a front seat passenger in his vehicle at the time of the incident.

On the face of it this was a pretty serious road traffic incident, and the client was lucky not to have faced charges of careless or even dangerous driving. However, his sentencing was made even more difficult by the fact he was on a suspended prison sentence, and these offences put him in breach of that sentence. Normally the starting point for the court in these circumstances would be to activate that suspended sentence and send the client straight to prison. At the very least the seriousness of his offending could have resulted in a community order and significant period of unpaid work.

However, Ziba was able to persuade the magistrates of the client’s mitigating circumstances and was able to convince the court that that they should take the exceptional route of not activating the suspended sentence. Her powerful representations not only ensured the client did not go to prison, but actually kept his sentence in the lowest possible sentencing range. He left court with a fine of just over £500 and only 3 months disqualification.

If you are ever faced with a criminal prosecution then it is circumstances like this that highlight the value in instructing the right solicitor at the earliest opportunity. This will very often make a significant difference to your chances of getting the best possible result. If you would like to speak to a member of our Crime Team, whether for a road traffic matter or anything more serious then please do not hesitate to call 0208 563 9797 and we will be happy to help.