Kent Traffic Law Reviews

When you contacted me you had already been to court and your sentencing had been adjourned to a later date. The court had provisionally expressed its view as to the gravity of the case. We spoke on the phone and arranged for an in-person meeting.

I find it is imperative to meet clients personally and to take full instructions upon both the case and as to the client’s personal background. It is only by doing so that one can properly and fully prepare for the hearing.

On the day we met early at court and ensured that we were fully ready. I am glad that you felt supported and that the court accepted the defence mitigation in full. With such a serious charge there is a large potential variation between the most severe and the most lenient penalties that the court can impose. Fortunately, you were sentenced as leniently as the law allows.

Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful review.

I am often contacted by the parent of a new driver concerned that the courts are likely to order the endorsement of 6 penalty points. Whereas, for most of us, that would not stop us from driving, for new drivers the opposite is the case; the endorsement of 6 points by a court results in the DVLA automatically revoking the licence.

This means that the only way to drive again is by retaking both the theory and practical tests. It is reported in the media that delays for such resits have, literally, never been longer. This is why, for new drivers, a short ban can be infinitely preferable to 6 points; they can literally drive the day after the ban ends with no resits at all! This is often the difference between losing and retaining a job and / or career.

It was a pleasure to meet you and your son in conference when I took full instructions and advised you on steps to take in advance of your court date. I, of course, represented your son at court too (as a public access barrister I provided one point of contact from start to finish; I don't send agents to court). I was really pleased the court gave us the outcome we sought.

Thank you very much indeed for taking the time and trouble to post this review.

Driving without due care and attention is one of those offences which carries the risk of disqualification or the endorsement of 3-9 penalty points (plus a fine). Anyone who is convicted of this offence, whether by pleading 'Guilty' or after a trial, would want to obtain the most lenient penalty the circumstances would allow. This was the task when you engaged me.

We met in person and went through your case. I also advised on some preparatory steps for you to take in advance of the hearing date. Unlike with a firm of solicitors, and, as a public access barrister, I always attend personally to present the case in court.

Fortunately, the court accepted all of the defence submissions thereby resulting in the positive outcome we sought.

It is very good of you to take the trouble to post the review. Thank you.

A driving disqualification for those who need their licences for work is the ultimate nightmare which can result in anything from loss of home to loss of job (and all the suffering that goes with it). Therefore, when you faced the possibility of a ban you rang me and we discussed your case. We decided to meet for me to take instructions and to draft the mitigation plea in the hope that you would avoid having to go to court and avoid a ban at the same time. It worked! Your review is appreciated. Thank you.

With young adult clients, it's often an anxious parent who makes the first contact, as happened here. We usually talk it through by phone first, then arrange an in-person meeting — often with a parent present — once formal instructions are given. After going through the case papers together, I can give proper advice on prospects and next steps.

The wait for the court date can feel tense, but hopefully it helps to know you're in experienced hands and that everything possible is being done to prepare. As a barrister, I attend court personally rather than sending an agent, so clients aren't facing a difficult day with a stranger.

On the day, as you describe, things went as well as we could have hoped. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience — it's genuinely appreciated.

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a detailed review. 'Exceptional hardship' arguments require a meticulous approach and I believe the only proper way to build a strong foundation is through absolute honesty with a realistic assessment from the very start.

My goal is always to give my clients clear and transparent guidance so they know exactly where they stand and then bring the full weight of my experience into the courtroom to fight their cause.

I am delighted that we achieved the outcome you sought and that I could provide the confidence and reassurance you needed during a stressful time. Thank you again for your high recommendation and I wish you all the very best for the future.

Thank you very much for your kind review. A driving disqualification can be catastrophic for business owners or anyone whose livelihood depends on driving, which is why I refuse to pass my clients off to external agents or standard barristers' chambers.

Having previously practiced in London chambers, I know how common it is for firms to delegate court appearances. I choose a different approach; I personally manage your case from the very first phone call to the final court hearing. I believe this end-to-end commitment is what drives better results.

Hearing you say, "I believe I wouldn't have won my case without him," is rewarding. Navigating a potential ban is deeply stressful and your feedback validates the exacting standard of service I strive to provide.

When you first rang I spoke to you, as I do with all callers, and gave you my initial thoughts. You then booked a meeting and we met for me to take detailed instructions and for me to advise you on steps to take in advance of the hearing. You followed up carefully on that guidance and attended court with the relevant and pre-prepared documentation. We then dealt with the case in court which, after deliberation, came down in your favour. I am really pleased you obtained this outcome. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to leave such a detailed review.

You had 6 penalty points on your licence and had committed a further offence which, one would have expected, could have resulted in, at least, a further 6 points being endorsed. However, this would have led to a penalty points disqualification of 6 months. This would have been a devastating blow to you given that you have a good job which is dependent on your licence.

We met in person to consider your case and our approach. It was clear to me that your best chance of saving your licence was trying to persuade the court to endorse fewer than 6 points. I advised you of steps to take in advance of your hearing.

At Maidstone Magistrates’ Court, the court clerk opened the proceedings by saying that you would have a further 6 points endorsed even though the court hadn’t even heard the facts outlined by the prosecutor! The clerk, for some reason, didn’t appear to realise that the number of points to be endorsed was a matter for the Magistrates not her! This is an unusual illustration of the type of thing that can happen at court.

The clerk didn’t get her way and the court required the prosecutor to outline the facts of the incident. She read them out and included various material aggravating factors that were not set out in the papers disclosed to the defence! The prosecutor should not resort to reading the contents of internal police reports (when challenged by me, she admitted this is what she had done!) This is a further unusual illustration of what can go wrong for the Defence in court. Fortunately, the court was persuaded by my submissions that those matters should be put out of their minds.

Having avoided the two banana skins mentioned above you were sentenced on a less serious factual basis which, only just, gave me the possibility of submitting that the court should consider an endorsement of 5 points only. They did just that which meant that you were not disqualified at all! It was a close-run thing but I am really pleased that you obtained the outcome you sought.

Thank you very much for leaving such a carefully considered review.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Securing a 'Not Guilty' verdict and saving your career was an absolute priority, and I am delighted we achieved the right result.

Your case highlights exactly why I operate a direct-access practice. When you instruct me, there are no middlemen, sales agents, or receptionists filtering your story. We spoke from day one because I believe a client facing loss of licence, and in your case of livelihood, deserves experienced guidance from the start.

As we discussed when you booked an in-person consultation, defending allegations in the Magistrates’ Court is rarely straightforward once a prosecution starts. On first viewing, the cyclist’s video footage seemed daunting. However, by thoroughly analysing the evidence, we were able to turn the tables. We demonstrated that the cyclist’s own erratic riding caused the incident, and that your decision to protect your elderly coach passengers, by refusing to brake suddenly, was the definition of safe and professional driving.

You made an excellent point regarding how the wider legal system often operates. When you instruct solicitors, cases are usually passed down to junior advocates at the eleventh hour. Having spent years working within that traditional structure, I deliberately chose to break away from it. I established my practice so that clients like you receive senior, dedicated representation from the initial phone call right through to court room representation.

I am incredibly pleased that your licence is safe and you are still on the road. For anyone else in a similar position, I am always available for a direct, no-obligation initial assessment of their case. Thank you again for your recommendation.

In my practice I deal with all telephone and email enquiries personally. If clients book meetings or court representation I personally attend; I do not send agents. Therefore, there are times when I cannot always deal with enquiries the same day. However, I was pleased to deal with your matter as quickly as I reasonably could. Thank you for leaving a review.

Your case at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court was a typical ‘New Driver’ case: you faced licence revocation and the hurdle of re-taking theory and practical tests before you could drive again for an offence of driving without insurance. The major problem is that, even if you pass your re-tests first time, the waiting lists are at record lengths meaning that, in practice, you would have lost your job in the meantime. Typically, of course, one’s ability to earn a living is the foundation upon which all of our plans are based and so you are at risk of losing so much more than just the ability to drive.

In your case we met a few weeks ago for me to take instructions and to advise you on any steps you needed to take in advance of your hearing. Consequently, you attended court with all of the documents we needed to help support your case. However, we had a shock at court as the Magistrates did not realise they had the discretion to impose a short disqualification; the Chairman of the Bench kept referring to it being ‘mandatory’ for the court to order the endorsement of 6 points! When I read the Sentencing Guidelines, which bind the court, for New Drivers to him and handed it up to him, for the Magistrates to consider when they retired, he literally asked the clerk, ‘What is this?’

In other words, this was one of those cases where we weren’t just seeking to make the case that it would be unduly harsh, in all the circumstances, to order a 6 point endorsement, but also to explain to the court that they had power to do so! It is not often that the Magistrates and the court clerk are so clueless. After a long time considering their decision they returned to order a 14 day ban (which was perfect for us as I had advised you to book your annual leave from the court date and you had booked the remainder of your leave – which just happened to be 2 weeks)!

So, all’s well that ends well, but it was an extremely close thing. It just goes to show that one cannot take anything for granted. Of course, we didn’t; we were well prepared for to make our case. I am very pleased the court saw its merits.

Thank you very much for posting your review.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Many motorists don't realise that completing the optional 'circumstances' box on a police s172 Notice is a procedural minefield; providing the information without careful legal guidance can make a prosecution more, not less, likely.

I’m pleased that my experience as a barrister helped us navigate these nuances effectively in your case. By providing a structured, carefully crafted account at the outset, the police have been persuaded to drop the case against you entirely! This is a wonderful outcome and means that the costs and stresses of a drawn-out criminal prosecution have been averted (along with the risk of a driving disqualification).

In my experience, even if the police had decided to prosecute you, the provision of a well thought-out early written account, tends to result in more favourable outcomes in the end. Thankfully, that is now a hypothetical matter in your case!

I am very pleased with this result and wish you all the best.

Yours was a typical penalty points disqualification hearing; ie the defence submission of 'exceptional hardship' was based upon the potential loss of work and associated outcomes. Each case turns on its own facts but loss of job/business and / or source of income is a very common feature of typical cases. In a sense, this is the difficulty ie the case has to be 'exceptional' to secure the outcome sought by the defence. Yet, the claims that a ban will result in loss of income is very common.

However, our case was well prepared and you were fully aware of what to expect when giving evidence in court. Fortunately, all of that preparation paid off in the end with the desired outcome.

Thank you for your review.

New Drivers only need to reach 6 penalty points before they face automatic licence revocation. Given the very lengthy waiting lists for resits this can mean being unable to drive for very many months until both the theory and practical tests have been passed. In turn, this often means loss of job with all that that entails for you and your family. I frequently have new driver clients who cannot afford the disruption to their lives that licence revocation will bring.

In your case you sought guidance on the phone well in advance of your trial date. We set up an in-person meeting at which we worked out our strategy of dealing with your case. You followed the advice I gave you at this meeting in terms of steps you needed to take in advance of your court hearing (including changing you plea!)

On the day in court it looked like we weren't going to get our way but at the last minute the court decided to make a disposal which meant you could keep your job (for which your licence was necessary). The strategy had worked!

I would recommend to motorists to make an early phone call as I don't charge for an initial telephone review. In your case, your change of approach resulting from that call resulted in the positive outcome you sought. The earlier in proceedings you call the better.

Thank you for your review.

New Drivers who have 6 points endorsed for offences committed within 2 years of passing the test automatically face licence revocation. This means both the theory and practical tests have to be passed before driving again. Often such a delay means loss of job with all that that means for family and dependents. Therefore, most new drivers are extremely anxious to avoid licence revocation.

With all enquiries I personally discuss matters on the phone at the outset to see how I can help. I quote fixed fees. If the client wishes to proceed we meet face to face to plan a strategy. Once we have worked out a plan I then advise on steps to take in advance of the court hearing.

We met early at court on the day of the hearing. In my practice I personally attend; I do not brief junior barristers to attend at the last minute. I tend to find that continuity of advice and representation from start to finish tends to result in better outcomes. Fortunately, in your case this was how it worked out. I am pleased you obtained the outcome you sought.

Thank you very much for your review.

When a motorist calls who is genuinely in fear of loss of licence, as opposed to someone who is simply trying to avoid a trivial penalty such as 3 points and a fine, I take some time, perhaps up to about 20 minutes, to discuss the situation. I don't consider it formal legal advice as there is insufficient time to take full instructions and advise. However, I can usually help the client decide whether they actually need to pay for a consultation or not. Often I find that I can help to clarify matters so that, in fact, the motorist may not need to book a consultation with me or anyone else (which was the case with you.) If, however, a consultation is booked we both know that it is worthwhile to do so as we have made sufficient headway in our first call to make that assessment. I am very pleased I was able to assist you. Thank you for leaving your review.

Originally you rang me to ask about what was likely to happen in your case never having been in that situation before. You had many questions. We spoke for about 30 minutes on the phone before you decided to book a consultation. (The initial call can vary in length from a short call to a long one which depends on the circumstances. There is no charge, as you know, for the initial discussion.) In that call I quoted you fixed fees based upon what your case entailed. We met to prepare for the court hearing. When the day in court arrived we met early at court to go over matters once again. Fortunately, we obtained the outcome you had sought.

Thank you very much for posting your review.

Dear Unicorn Automotive, it is true that once the nature of the issues have been established that fixed fees are quoted in the initial telephone discussion. I appreciate that someone who is facing a minor speeding offence to which he is happy to plead 'guilty', as you said you were, will not want to pay a substantial fee. However, quoting fees in an initial call prevents misunderstandings and any potential waste of time. Sometimes the initial discussion can last, say, 20 minutes. There is no charge for this and those who stay on the line tend to find it very useful. Those who have a substantial issue at stake, and who have paid the relevant fees, have, judging by their reviews, found that they have obtained value for money.

As a 'New Driver' the endorsement of 6 penalty points, for offences within the first 2 years of passing you test, will result in licence revocation. With today's excessive waiting lists to re-sit a test this can mean loss of job, income or even worse for those in your situation. Thus, we agreed to seek a short sharp disqualification at court instead.

We met for me to take instructions from you. I advised you of steps to take given your particular circumstances that would strengthen your case at court. Subsequently, I attended court in Margate to represent you (with Kent Traffic Law there is no risk of a stranger attending to represent you; I deal with all court cases personally). The court accepted everything that was put forward on your behalf and was clearly impressed with the steps you had taken since committing the relevant offence.

At 41mph/30mph limit the guideline sentence was a disqualification of 7-28 days or the endorsement of 4-6 points. For the reasons explained above we sought a ban rather than points. That the court only banned you for 7 days indicated that the court was impressed by you as this was at the very bottom end of the relevant range. That they chose not to fine you, at all, was most unusual. In fact, I have not come across this, in a situation such as yours, ever! It just goes to show that when a case is clearly and persuasively presented sometimes the outcome can be even better than hoped!

Thank you for your review.