West Midlands Railways work in a very particular way for their prosecutions.
We deal with all West Midlands cases which tend to be-
The majority of our client’s have Trainline apps or similar and have offended a high number of occasions without being caught previously.
When you are stopped by an inspector from West Midlands Railways, you will be given a witness statement receipt. This will state the officers badge number, date of incident, where the receipt was issued, the journey undertaken, what class of ticket it is as well as your personal details. It will state that West Midlands will contact you about your fare evasion. 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. West Midlands will set out the consequences of a conviction including a criminal record. 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 West Midlands to do so.
Clients are also often emailed by the Fraud Team of West Midlands as they will have their travel history investigated. We have an excellent relationship with the fraud team and can resolve matters promptly.
If you are unsuccessful, you will receive a court summons known as a single justice procedure notice.
The single justice procedure notice itself will charge you with Byelaw 18 (1) 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. There is often a second charge stating that under Byelaw 18 (2) of the Railway Byelaws made under section 219 and section 20 of the Transport Act 2000, in accordance with the Railways Act 2005, in that you failed to hand over a ticket for inspection and verification of validity when asked to so by an authorised person.
These offences are 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 Govia Thameslink’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 West Midlands 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 Study 1- Our client had an international visa and therefore if they were convicted would have had difficulties in remaining in the country. Through our submissions, we were able to persuade the prosecutor of the exceptional circumstances in the case and secured a settlement for a very relieved client.
Case Study 2- Our client was an international student whose visa was at risk due to offending. We were able to persuade the prosecution to settle the matter out of Court and as such our client could continue their studies.
Case Study 3- Our client had not paid for his fares for over a year. Our client contacted us before he had received a letter from the train company. We were able to quickly work on his case and reached agreement promptly on his matter thus saving him stress and worry about his future.
Case Study 4- Our client had lived abroad and returned travelling whilst using an expired railcard over a prolonged period. Through our submissions, we were able to resolve matters out of Court and as such our client could continue in his career.
Case Study 5- Our client had not paid for her fare correctly on one occasion. A criminal record would have been devastating for her career. We were able to settle the matter promptly out of court thus avoiding a criminal record for our client.
Case Study 6- Our client had not paid their fares over a prolonged period of time. Our client had pleaded not guilty to the charges despite not having a defence and as such his matter was listed for trial. We were contacted by our client just prior to the trial. We were able to make submissions on our client’s behalf which settled the case promptly and avoided him having to attend Court and more importantly a criminal record.
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ible.Manak Solicitors is a trading name of Manak Lawyers Limited registered at Companies’ House in England & Wales Company Number: 09877015
Manak Lawyers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA No. 627738, 628462 & 648124
Manak Lawyers Limited does not accept service by fax or email
Manak Solicitors is a trading name of Manak Lawyers Limited registered at Companies’ House in England & Wales Company Number: 09877015
Manak Lawyers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA No. 627738, 628462 & 648124
Manak Lawyers Limited does not accept service by fax or email
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