Not sure what the court is asking me for...

Convicted Driver Insurance

Wilbur2015

New Member
Hi, sorry if this isn’t the right place to post this but I was hoping to get some help or be pointed in the right direction on where to look for it.

At the start of lockdown last year I was charged with driving over the limit (lowest breath reading was 50). But somebody came forward and admitted to having spiked my cans of larger with extra spirits. So I had asked for a special reasons hearing. The date for this then got moved by the court twice due to covid, and then a 3rd time because I was an inpatient in hospital on the date I was supposed to be in court (taken in suddenly the week before and got kept in for 3 weeks). But a new date was set for 3 weeks from the planned date which ended up being 2 days after I was discharged.

When I came out of hospital the back calculation report I had requested and paid for 2 months before still hadn’t arrived and the forensic company said the delay was also caused by issues around COVID and not having as many staff in and a heavy workload. So I asked for a last minute adjournment which was denied, then when the special reasons hearing was heard the magistrates said they believed that I was in fact spiked but because I had no proof to say that’s what put me over the limit they had no choice but to disqualify me for 12 months, and offered me the course to reduce this.

A couple of days later the back calculation arrived and it said based on the drinks I knew I had consumed my reading at the time of driving should have been zero! So proof that it was the spiking that put me over. And if I had gotten this report back sooner this would have been proof for the magistrates not to disqualify me.
so I’ve put in an appeal to the crown court (due to be heard beginning of February) and I’ve had another hearing at the magistrates where they agreed to suspend my disqualification until that appeal is heard.

But the crown court have emailed saying........
The Appellant is to produce any authorities she relies on no later than 24 hours before the hearing of the Appeal.”

I did reply asking what that meant and they kindly replied....
“The Judge has asked for you to submit any authorities you wish to rely on e.g. a judicial decision, statute, or rule of law that supports your appeal.”

But to be completely honest, I still have no idea what it is they are asking for. As I’ve already submitted my statement explaining all the details of the event, and the back calculation report as part of the appeal papers. And they said they have all the paperwork from the original case at the magistrates. So please can you help me and explain what else they asking me to provide?

I appreciate your time and I look forward to your reply

many thanks in advance.
 
Hi Martin

thank you so much for replying so quickly.

So do I need to search the Web to try and find some cases where victims of drink spiking have then not been disqualified? Or is it more about the special reasons as a whole?
As I’ve found the guidelines for what amounts to special reasons are on the sentencing council website. Would that help?
 
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