South Eastern Railways

Southeastern Railways work in a very particular way for their prosecutions.

We deal with all Southeastern cases which tend to be-

Purchasing tickets shorter than your journey.
Purchasing only the start and end of a journey without a ticket covering the middle part of the journey.
Using a railcard with your ticket which you do not hold.
Having no ticket at all.
Paying when challenged, meaning you purchase a ticket when you see an inspector.

The majority of our clients have Trainline apps or similar and have offended a high number of occasions without being caught previously.

The Process

When you are stopped by an inspector from Southeastern Railways, you will be given a Witness Statement MG11. This will have a reference starting SETMG000 usually. This will state the Officers Badge number, the station your MG11 was issued at, the journey you undertook and class of travel. This will also state your date of birth and if you are an adult. The MG11 states that they will write to you about the prosecution in due course. They will take your name and address and check your identification documents. We can resolve your case without you even receiving your letter, saving you months of stress and sleepless nights.

You will receive a letter from them informing you that you have committed an offence and asking you to inform them of any circumstances they should take into account. If you do not persuade them to settle out of court, you will be prosecuted. We are able to resolve a matter out of court for you promptly by persuading Southeastern to do so.

If you are unsuccessful, you will receive a court summons known as a single justice procedure notice. Southeastern often produce the summons.

The single justice procedure notice itself will charge you with Byelaw 18 of the Railway Byelaws made under Section 219 and Schedule 20 of the Transport Act 2000, in accordance with the Railways Act 2000, in accordance with the Railways Act 2005, in that you entered a non-compulsory ticket area for the purpose of travelling with the Railway without having a valid ticket entitling you to travel.

This offence is strict liability meaning intention is irrelevant. If you fail to have a valid ticket or hand it over when asked to do so, you are likely to be found guilty.

You can also be charged under Section 5 (3) of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 which sets out that if any person attempts to travel, on a railway without having previously paid his fare, and with intent to avoid payment thereof, he commits an offence.

The consequences of being found guilty are that you can have a criminal record for one year after which it is spent. You can also be fined up to a £1,000. You would also need to pay Southeastern’s legal costs and any outstanding tickets. This often means being found guilty is more expensive than settling a case out of court which crucially avoids a criminal record.

We will be able to negotiate an out of court settlement, deal with the 21 day court limit to enter your plea and dispense with the interview giving you peace of mind and a quick resolution.

Samir Moftah has dealt with fare evasion cases for over ten years and has settled over 1,000 fare evasion cases from May 2021 to June 2024 alone, let alone the many years of successful settlements for clients prior to this. We deal with Southeastern cases in very high volumes and resolve each case for our clients avoiding a conviction. Samir is a Director and has been a qualified solicitor since 2010. You will deal with Samir only throughout your case and he will give your case his full attention.

Samir represents regulated professionals such as lawyers, doctors, those in finance jobs, accountants and for the Civil Service. Samir also represents clients who are students or who reside in the UK with a visa or are applying for citizenship. Samir is trusted to deliver and has an excellent track record of success and enjoys excellent relationships with all the train companies, prosecutors, fraud departments in the country. Samir has hundreds of 5 star reviews from past clients and enjoys helping clients to ease their stress, take control of their situation and ultimately resolve matters so that they never have to worry about a prosecution in the future.

Case Studies

CASE STUDY 1- Our client had not paid for his fares correctly for over a year. He was contacted by Southeastern who requested mitigation from him. Samir was able to make legal representations and persuade the prosecutor to settle the case out of court despite the lengthy period of offending. Our client was able to retain his employment due to this.

CASE STUDY 2- Our client had received a court summons for not paying for his fare evasions correctly. Through our enquiries we were able to establish that there were multiple prosecutions outstanding that our client was not aware of. Through our submissions, we were able to settle all cases out of court despite the repeated nature of the offending for a very relieved client.

CASE STUDY 3- Our client had been contacted by Southeastern as she had failed to pay for her fares correctly on multiple occasions. Through our submissions, we were able to settle the matter out of court on the same day as we were instructed.

CASE STUDY 4- Our client had not paid her fares for over a year. Despite the extensive level of offending, we were able to settle the matter on the same day as we were instructed through making legal submissions.

CASE STUDY 5- Our client had avoided his fares on multiple occasions. He had been stopped but had not received a letter from Southeastern. Through our efforts , we were able to settle his case promptly out of court.

CASE STUDY 6- Our client had avoided her fares multiple times by purchasing a short ticket. This would have led to her losing her job as her role required DBS checks. We were able to settle out of court promptly to avoid a conviction through representations.

CASE STUDY 7- Our client was a student and had avoided paying fares on multiple occasions. This could have led to her losing her university place and not being able to go into her chosen profession. Through our representations we were able to secure an out of court settlement so that our client could pursue her ambitions.

CASE STUDY 8- Our client had not paid for his fares correctly. This was particularly stressful for him as he was accused of not paying fares which amounted to thousands of pounds. Through our methodical approach, we were able to settle the matter for our client for less than a £1,000 despite the allegations. Our client was able to continue in his work.

CASE STUDY 9- Our client had an international visa and therefore could not afford to receive a criminal record. She had been dishonest at the scene and had not paid for multiple journeys over an extensive period. Through our efforts, we were able to settle the matter out of Court.